Kerkez has committed 6 fouls across his 5 Premier League appearances so far this season (1.27 per 90). The left back is quite forward thinking and struggled against Mohammed Salah last weekend, contesting 12 fouls and committing 2 fouls.

He’ll have a tough assignment up against Tyler Dibling who scored his first Premier League goal against Ipswich last weekend and has shown plenty of promise in his 205 minutes of top flight football, winning 12 fouls (5.27 per 90).

This is set to be a key battle in this fixture, if Southampton can beat the intense Bournemouth press then their best bet is to hit the wide areas where Bournemouth often allow their opponents space. This should present plenty of opportunities for Dibling to be 1v1 with Kerkez who has a consistent fouls record this season.

Southampton have been finding the back of the net with more regularity in recent weeks, they’ve scored in each of their last 2 games against Everton and Ipswich and were unlucky not to find the back of the net against Manchester United where they generated an xG of 1.12 and squandered 3 big chances.

Bournemouth’s 5 Premier League games have seen 13 goals (2.6 per 90), Iraola will be positive about a lot of his sides attacking work in 2 tough games against Liverpool and Chelsea recently, the Cherries were on the wrong side of the result on both occasions but managed 38 shots and 13 shots on target across the 2 fixtures, generating an xG of 1.0 or higher in every Premier League game so far.

This should be quite an open encounter with plenty of goalmouth action, Bournemouth can’t yet be backed to keep out the opposition but neither can Southampton. The Cherries may have to find the back of the net more than once to claim all 3 points with Southampton posing a real threat if they can beat the Bournemouth press.

Semenyo has had 24 shots across his 5 Premier League appearances so far (5.02 per 90). He’s been the most dangerous of Bournemouth’s attacking options returning 2 goals and 1 assist so far.

Semenyo had 4 shots against Liverpool last time out and 3 efforts against Chelsea showing that even against some of the better sides in the Premier League he can be a threat.

He should get plenty of joy against a stuttering Southampton defence struggling to limit shots on their goal; they’ve conceded 15.8 shots per game across their opening 5 Premier League fixtures.

Aaron Ramsdale has been forced into making 16 saves across his 3 Southampton appearances so far against Brentford, Manchester United and Ipswich (5.33 per 90).

Andoni Iraola will surely demand a reaction from his side’s slightly sluggish performance at Anfield last week, the Cherries have been quite positive in the early parts of the season managing 16.6 shots per game and 5.40 shots on target per game across their opening fixtures.

Ramsdale has made 3+ saves in all 3 of his appearances for the Saints this season. Bournemouth have a variety of attacking threats that can test Ramsdale, most notably in Antonie Semenyo who has already found the target 6 times this season.

Semenyo is leading his side when it comes to goal contributions, he’s recorded 2 goals and 1 assist over the first 5 games with plenty of underlying numbers to back up his tangible output.

He’s had 24 shots (5.02 per 90) with 6 of these efforts finding the target (1.26 per 90). Such a high shot volume makes him the main goal threat in this Bournemouth side with Iraola’s side still adapting to life without Dominic Solanke. New striker Evanilson is yet to get off the mark but Semenyo looks like he can carry the burden until the former Porto man finds his shooting boots.

Semenyo has created 4 chances across the opening 5 games resulting in 1 assist, these numbers don’t stand out massively but show he can still offer service to his teammates at a rate of 0.84 chances created per 90. Semenyo recorded 10 goal contributions last season (8 goals, 2 assists) and has started this season brightly, he can build on his tally from last season against a side low on confidence.

Tyler Dibling scored his first ever Premier League goal in Southampton’s 1-1 draw v Ipswich last weekend. The winger really stood out when Rusell Martin unexpectedly threw him into the side for the game against Manchester United, winning a penalty after being hauled down by Diogo Dalot.

Dibling’s playing style draws a lot of comparisons to Jack Grealish, he likes to travel with the ball and isolate his man 1v1. He’s won 12 fouls in just 205 minutes of Premier League football this season (5.27 per 90) as well as completing 9 dribbles (3.95 per 90).

He’ll line up against Milos Kerkez who has committed 6 fouls across his 5 Premier League appearances this season (1.27 per 90). Expect the left back to struggle against Dibling who has already shown he will be a handful for his opposite fullback, he was hauled down 4 times against Ipswich last time out.

As mentioned, Kerkez has been a regular fouler so far this season, while picking up 1 yellow card this season across his 5 Premier League appearances. His caution came in the first game of the season against Nottingham Forest, where he was up against Elanga and Neco Williams who caused the left back plenty of problems.

He picked up 5 cards (4 yellows, 1 red) across 28 Premier League appearances last season, he’ll test the referee’s patience against Tyler Dibling who has already won 12 fouls in limited minutes this term.

Lewis Cook has committed 14 fouls across his 5 Premier League appearances this season (2.84 per 90). The midfielder has an important role in the side in halting players when they break through the first line of Bournemouth’s intense pressing setup which partly explains why his foul count is so high.

He’s committed at least 1 foul in every Premier League game so far and has been shown a yellow card in the last 2 games against Liverpool and Chelsea adding to the booking he collected against Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season.

He’ll line up against Mateus Fernandes who has been bright at times for Southampton, winning 6 fouls across his 4 appearances so far (2.36 per 90). Bournemouth won’t mind being without the ball but it will mean an increase in defensive actions, especially if Southampton can successfully navigate the suffocating Bournemouth press.