AFC Bournemouth head to Elland Road this Saturday looking to build on their impressive early-season form against newly promoted Leeds United. It will be the Cherries’ first visit to Yorkshire since 2022, and they arrive riding the momentum of a strong start under Andoni Iraola.
Leeds, meanwhile, have settled back into life in the Premier League with confidence. Daniel Farke’s men sit 12th with seven points from five games and remain unbeaten at home, a record they’ll be determined to preserve in front of their fans.
Team News
Iraola’s squad is largely fit, though long-term absentee Enes Ünal remains sidelined, and Adam Smith is out with a hamstring problem. Lewis Cook, who missed last weekend’s draw with Newcastle due to a shoulder issue, is a doubt but could return. Ryan Christie and Bafodé Diakité both overcame knocks to feature in that stalemate and should be available again.
For Leeds, Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Perri is ruled out with a thigh injury, while Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto face late fitness tests. Beyond that, Farke has a relatively strong group to choose from, with key players such as Pascal Struijk, Brenden Aaronson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin expected to feature.
Head-to-Head
History tilts heavily in Leeds’ favor. The two sides have met 15 times, with Leeds winning 11 of those encounters. However, Bournemouth had the upper hand in their most recent Premier League clash, a 4–1 win at the Vitality Stadium in April 2023, when Jefferson Lerma struck twice alongside goals from Dominic Solanke and Antoine Semenyo.
Elland Road, though, has not been kind to the Cherries. The last time they visited, in November 2022, they surrendered a 3–1 lead before Crysencio Summerville’s late winner capped a thrilling 4–3 comeback for Leeds.
Form Guide
Bournemouth travel north in excellent shape. They are unbeaten in four, winning three on the bounce against Wolves, Spurs, and Brighton before grinding out a goalless draw against Newcastle. That run has propelled them into fourth place with 10 points, and their defense has looked particularly sharp, conceding just once in that stretch.
Leeds, by contrast, have been more inconsistent but showed resilience last weekend at Wolves. After falling behind early, they hit back with three first-half goals to secure a 3–1 victory. At Elland Road, they’ve been hard to beat, defeating Everton 1–0 and drawing 0–0 with Newcastle.
Kick-Off
Leeds United vs. Bournemouth kicks off at 3pm on Saturday, September 27. Both sides enter with confidence, and with form and history pulling in opposite directions, this promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the weekend.
