Match Preview | AFC Bournemouth vs. Cardiff City
City travel to Dorset for their final match of 2021.
The Bluebirds vs. AFC Bournemouth will take place on Thursday, December 30th, 2021 - 7:45pm KO!
Cardiff City TV options
Cardiff City TV's live coverage of Thursday evening's away fixture against AFC Bournemouth will be available to watch for supporters worldwide!
With the fixture taking place midweek, Cardiff City TV will be able to broadcast the match domestically as well as internationally.
Opposition Focus | Season so far
The Cherries returned to winning ways last time out after six games and seven weeks without a victory, defeating QPR by a single goal away from home on December 27th.
Their most recent win before Monday's triumph was a 4-0 home scoreline against Swansea City on November 6th. Since that date, Bournemouth have drawn four, lost two games, and won once.
Despite a blip in form, the impressive AFC Bournemouth, under the leadership of Scott Parker, are currently top of the Championship after 24 fixtures. Parker's former team, Fulham, are just one point behind, with a game in hand on their promotion rivals.
Opposition Focus: Ones to watch
Bournemouth's strong position in the Championship this term has been aided by the form of forward Dominic Solanke. The former Liverpool and Chelsea striker has scored 17 league goals in 24 matches.
Goalkeeper Mark Travers has played one game less than his teammate in the league, but has been equally as important. The 22-year-old joined Bournemouth in 2016 as a youth team player, but has had to be patient for his opportunity in the first team. Travers became first choice between the sticks at the start of 2021/22 following the departure of Asmir Begović. He has kept ten clean sheets for the Cherries this season.
Jaidon Anthony and Phillip Billing are the only two other Bournemouth players to start more than 20 fixtures so far this season, and have both played their part on the goalscoring front too. Forward Anthony has scored six times from 21 starts and three sub appearances, while towering central midfielder Billing is averaging a goal every three games, hitting the net seven times in 21 matches.
Cherries & Bluebirds | Club connections
Brian Clark made over 200 league appearances for the Bluebirds across two stints at Ninian Park, and scored over 100 goals in all competitions. He first departed the Club for AFC Bournemouth in 1972, spending one season in Dorset before heading to Millwall. He returned to City in 1975.
More recently, City loaned midfielder Harry Arter off the Cherries for our 2018/19 Premier League campaign. The midfielder played 25 times for the Bluebirds before leaving Dean Court on loan again the following season, and linking up with Scott Parker, his brother-in-law at Fulham. After ten years as a Bournemouth player, Arter departed on a permanent deal in 2020, signing for Nottingham Forest. He is currently on loan with League One side Charlton Athletic, the Club with which Arter began his career.
Kenwyne Jones, Ian Gibson, Lee Tomlin, Joe Bennett and Matthew Connolly are just a few other players to have donned both a Cherries and Bluebirds shirt.
