Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace - Match preview and team news

Bournemouth welcome Crystal Palace to the south coast on Sunday as they chase a historic European qualification spot.

Andoni Iraola’s side are currently enjoying a club-record 14-match unbeaten run in the Premier League. They sit seventh in the table, just one point behind sixth-placed Brighton with four games remaining.

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Meanwhile, Crystal Palace arrive buoyed by their 3-1 Conference League semi-final first-leg victory over Shakhtar Donetsk. Oliver Glasner’s men remain 13th but could still push for a top-ten finish this month. Both sides are known for high-intensity football, recording two of the highest direct speeds in the division.

Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace – Match preview and team news

Competition: Premier League

Date: Sunday, 3 May 2026

Kick-off: 14:00 BST

Venue: Vitality Stadium

Referee: Robert Jones

VAR: Peter Bankes

Last Meeting: Crystal Palace 3-3 Bournemouth (18 Oct 2025, Premier League)

Team news

Bournemouth

Andoni Iraola confirmed that Justin Kluivert has returned to training following a long-term knee injury. However, Sunday’s clash arrives too early for the Dutch international to feature in the squad. Midfielder Lewis Cook also remains unavailable but is expected to return to training next week. January signing Rayan could be recalled to the starting lineup after his goal against Leeds last weekend.

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Crystal Palace

The Eagles remain without Evann Guessand, Eddie Nketiah, and Cheick Doucouré for the trip to the Vitality Stadium. Oliver Glasner may opt to rotate his squad with the European second leg looming next Thursday. Key forwards Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta could be rested to manage their heavy workloads. Borna Sosa is a strong candidate to start at left wing-back if Tyrick Mitchell is rested.

Form

Bournemouth

Bournemouth have become the Premier League’s stalemate specialists and recorded 16 draws in 34 league games. They squandered two leads in a 2-2 home draw with Leeds United during their last outing. Despite this, they have lost only two of their 17 home league matches this campaign. They are currently unbeaten in their last five Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace.

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Crystal Palace

Palace saw their four-game unbeaten league run end with a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool last weekend. Their away form has dipped recently, and they suffered seven defeats in their last 13 road matches. That said, they have a strong defensive record at Bournemouth, keeping five clean sheets in eight visits. They also boast the joint-best points differential (+6) regarding goals scored in the 90th minute or later.

Predicted lineups

Bournemouth Predicted XI: Petrovic; Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Christie, Scott; Rayan, Kroupi, Tavernier; Evanilson

Crystal Palace Predicted XI: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Canvot; Munoz, Lerma, Hughes, Sosa; Pino, Johnson; Strand Larsen

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How to watch Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace?

The match on Sunday, 3rd May 2026, can be watched live in the UK on Sky Sports+. Kick-off is at 14:00 BST at the Vitality Stadium. Subscribers can also stream the contest via the Sky Sports app or with a contract-free NOW Day Membership.

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