Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe praises Southampton’s improvement under Ralph Hasenhuttl

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Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth take on Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium on Friday night.

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has told the Daily Echo that he expects a tough game against Southampton, praising their improvement under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The Cherries are full of confidence after convincingly beating Everton last weekend. A goal from Ryan Fraser and two from Callum Wilson gave Howe’s side a 3-1 win but this weekend’s game is much more important.

However, Bournemouth are yet to win a single Premier League game at St Mary’s Stadium and Howe is desperate to change that on Friday.

He said: “They’re a very good team. I think they’ve improved under their new manager, implemented his philosophy, certainly a very hard-working team. They’ve got undoubted quality I think. We know it’s going to be a tough game and a very good atmosphere I’m sure.

“We’ve enjoyed going to Southampton to play these games. We haven’t won one yet in the Premier League and we’re desperate to do that as soon as we can.”

The Saints under Hasenhuttl are an unpredictable side. From losing 3-0 to Burnley to almost picking up a point against European champions Liverpool, Southampton have had an interesting start to the campaign and their fans have a lot to be hopeful about for the rest of this season.

Both teams are in exactly the same situation after five games with two wins and two losses. A win on Friday will take Bournemouth to third spot for a few hours at least but the bragging rights until the reverse fixture will certainly be invaluable for the fans.