FA Cup | Fifth Round

Mar 1, 2025 at 3pm UK

Vitality Stadium

Bournemouth vs Wolves

Match preview

Amid the Premier League's fierce battle for European football, Andoni Iraola's expansive Bournemouth would bring continental football to the Vitality Stadium by going all the way in the FA Cup, a competition in which they have never progressed beyond the quarter-finals.

However, the Cherries have already made two big impressions in the competition this season, thrashing West Bromwich Albion 5-1 in the third round before goals from Antoine Semenyo and Daniel Jebbison saw off Everton last time out.

Bournemouth are now just one win away from matching their best ever finish in the competition - reaching the last eight in 1956-57 and 2020-21 - and should have higher aspirations than another quarter-final appearance, even if their Premier League credentials have waned.

Indeed, Iraola's men have lost two of their three top-flight matches since eliminating Everton from the FA Cup, most recently a 2-1 defeat at south coast rivals Brighton & Hove Albion in midweek that left them seventh in the Premier League table.

That narrow defeat at the Amex coincidentally came on the back of Bournemouth's narrow home defeat to none other than Wolves on 22 February, leaving the hosts in danger of suffering three successive defeats at the Vitality Stadium for the first time since December 2019.

From the highs of beating Bournemouth at the Vitality to the lows of losing again on their own patch, Wolves' previous defensive nous failed them when Fulham came to town in midweek, where Ryan Sessegnon needed just seconds to open the scoring.

A thunderbolt from Joao Gomes briefly restored parity for Pereira's men, but their efforts were in vain as Rodrigo Muniz's delightful dink sealed Fulham's victory, leaving Wolves looking over their shoulders.

Pereira's 17th-placed side will only be two points above the relegation zone if Leicester City beat West Ham United on Thursday night, but they have already beaten two away opponents in the FA Cup this season, beating Bristol City and, most recently, Blackburn.

The quarter-finals is where Wolves' adventure ended in 2023-24 - few will forget the Molineux mayhem against Coventry City - but the four-time champions have not reached the last eight in successive seasons since the 1990s.

The West Midlands outfit will have to make lightning strike twice on the south coast to achieve a first in the current millennium, having beaten 10-man Bournemouth 1-0 last weekend, but they have not won two away games against the same team in the same season since beating Reading twice in 2002-03.

Recent Performance

Bournemouth FA Cup form:WW

Bournemouth form (all competitions):WLWWLL

Wolverhampton Wanderers FA Cup form:WW

Wolverhampton Wanderers form (all competitions):LWWLWL

Team News

As well as the pain of defeat, Bournemouth also lost Ryan Christie to an adductor injury that forced him off in the 26th minute of that defeat at Brighton. The Scotland international has been nursing the problem for some time, but has so far been able to carry on.

Christie has not been ruled out for the fifth round clash, but he is likely to join Marcos Senesi (thigh), Enes Unal (knee) and Adam Smith (unspecified) on the sidelines, while Ilya Zabarnyi serves the second part of a three-match ban after Bournemouth failed to win an appeal against his red card in the defeat at Wolves.

Christie's likely absence will open the door for Alex Scott to move into midfield for the Cherries, while an FA Cup debut could now await number nine Evanilson, who made his first appearance since early January on Tuesday after recovering from a broken foot.

Iraola also revealed in his pre-match press conference that Julian Araujo (thigh) is back in training and available, but is unlikely to start.

Meanwhile, Wolves' midweek defeat at Fulham was not a major blow and Hwang Hee-chan (thigh) will be back in contention this weekend, but Leon Chiwone (knee), Yerson Mosquera (knee), Enso Gonzalez (knee), Sasa Kalajdzic (knee), Rodrigo Gomes (groin), Goncalo Guedes (knee) and Emmanuel Agbadou (thigh) remain sidelined.

Matheus Cunha, who has found the back of the net for Blackburn alongside recent top scorer Joao Gomes, will be looking to score for the fourth consecutive FA Cup tie on Saturday, having also found the net against West Brom and Brentford last season.

In terms of possible changes, Sam Johnstone could give Jose Sa a day off in goal, while Jorgen Strand Larsen could start up front after recovering from injury.

Possible starting lineup

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:

Kepa; Cook, Hill, Huijsen, Kerkez; Scott, Adams; Tavernier, Kluivert, Sinisterra; Ouattara

Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Johnstone; Doherty, Toti, Bueno; Semedo, Andre, Gomes, Ait-Nouri; Cunha, Munetsi; Strand Larsen