AFC Bournemouth and Swansea City will face off at the Liberty Stadium in Wales on New Years Eve, both sides are struggling in terms of form but are in two completely different situations, as far as the league table is concerned.
Eddie Howe's Cherries have endured some bad luck in recent games and have looked out of their depth against the top sides, but their excellent early season form has helped them reach a comfortable mid-table situation. However, Howe will know that his side must return to winning ways if they are to keep the good work going.
Swansea City caretaker coach Alan Curtis has been in his current situation in the past with the Swans and will need to revive a Swansea side that has found victories hard to come by so far and Curtis will to bring a change to their mentality before the next manager comes in and stamps his authority over the team.
Swansea look to halt poor run of form
Bob Bradley's appointment at the start of the season from the Swansea board was a surprising one and a decision that raised more questions than it gave answers to the fans.
Just three wins since the opening day has resulted in the Swans falling into the relegation scrap battle and an inability to get the much needed victories was one of the primary reasons why the Swansea board saw it fit to sack Bradley.
Now that Curtis has stepped in, the Welshman has quite the challenge on his hands to steer this Swansea side once again in the right direction until a new manager comes in to stabilise the situation and stop the poor run of form that they are experiencing at the moment.
History suggests an entertaining clash is on the cards as both sides have been involved in high-scoring matches but the Swans have failed to beat the Cherries in the Premier League so far. However, Howe's side have only won once on their travels this season, a fact that Curtis will look to be positive about.
Fernando Llorente will look to give the Bournemouth backline a challenge with his physical style of play as Gylfi Sigurdsson will look to find the Spaniard in any and all set-piece situations, a feature of the Swans' gameplay this season. The form of Leroy Fer will also be something of a challenge for the Cherries midfield, the Dutchman has struggled for consistency but he can dominate a game when on top of his game.
In terms of injuries and suspensions, Curtis will miss three important players, in defence Neil Taylor is still unavailable for the Welsh side as he recovers from a groin strain. In midfield, Jefferson Montero and Ki Sung-Yueng are two major absentees for the Swans as both of them look unlikely to make it to the game against Bournemouth.
Bournemouth look to better form away from home
The Vitality has been something of a fortress for Howe's side this term, but away from home, the Cherries have managed to win only once as they look to improve on their results on their travels.
Howe's side started the season in positive fashion which has seen them climb into the top half of the table thanks to some excellent matches in which they've proven themselves more than deserving to be the victors.
However, the Cherries have struggled against the top guns of the league so far this season, recent matches have seen Howe's men fall to the likes of Southampton, Chelsea and while Bournemouth may not always be the favourites in those fixtures, they will hope to gain maximum points against their nearest rivals.
The two sides have met in different divisions of the English footballing ladder and Bournemouth have enjoyed the greater share of success in their encounters in the Premier League, Howe will be hoping that history gives his side the edge in a game that promises to be full of goals as both sides will not back down easily.
Howe has always placed an emphasis on good football and a high intensity in his team's play and that is just what they will look to use against the Swans, as Callum Wilson will try and use his pace to get behind a Swansea backline that has looked very vulnerable while defending and the energy of the Cherries in midfield will be of great importance to secure all three points at the Liberty stadium.