Premier League's basement boys braced for fierce finale

Bournemouth

Thrashed 5-2 at Manchester United on Saturday, Eddie Howe's side is in free-fall after an eight-game win-less run featuring five successive defeats.

The second-bottom Cherries, one point from safety, face Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and Manchester City in their next three games.

That sequence that will surely determine whether Bournemouth－a tiny south-coast club with a stadium capacity of just over 11,000－can extend its five-season stay in the top flight for another year.

Bournemouth's lack of goals has been a huge part of its downfall, with the starting lineup at Old Trafford managing just eight between them so far this season.

"Games are running out. If we're going to stay in the division, we're going to have to start picking up points," Bournemouth winger Junior Stanislas said.

"We'll have no excuses. We can't keep talking. It's time for action. There's no reason why from now until the end of the season we can't pick points up."