Adams urges Bournemouth to carry Europa League momentum into Sunderland clash

Bournemouth must carry the positive momentum from their winning start in Europe into their Premier League meeting with Sunderland, so says Tyler Adams.

The Cherries have won both of their Europa League fixtures in what is their first-ever continental campaign.

Yet they have not won any of their opening six Premier League games in 2026-27, leaving them in the bottom three ahead of welcoming Sunderland to the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.

Bournemouth, who lost 5-1 at Chelsea last weekend, are eight points worse off than they were at this stage last season when they had 11. Sunderland, meanwhile, are seven worse off now (four points) than at this stage in 2025-26 (11).

And Adams has urged Bournemouth to put that right.

"In the beginning, we had some performances where we were saying we were playing well but not getting results," he said.

"That can only happen for so long. Sometimes having a result like Chelsea is the wake-up call that you need.

"You can be playing as good football as you want, but if you're not getting three points at the end of it, what does that really mean?

"We had a moment of reflection and talked as a team about how you have to do everything it takes to win.

"I think the reaction was what we needed against Sturm Graz, but now we need to carry that momentum into the weekend."

Sunderland were also involved in Europa League action on Thursday, as the Black Cats beat Torreense 2-1.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bournemouth - Evanilson

Evanilson has been involved in 57% of Bournemouth’s Premier League goals this season (one goal, three assists).

However, he has only ended on the winning side in seven of the 21 games he has scored or assisted in (33%), the lowest ratio of any of the 736 players to score or assist in 20+ games in Premier League history.

Sunderland - Robin Roefs

In the Premier League this season, the two goalkeepers with the worst goals prevented differential are Sunderland's Robin Roefs (-3.77, 12 conceded from 8.23 xGoT) and Bournemouth's Djordje Petrovic (-3.71, 13 conceded from 9.29 xGoT).

Roefs was a star of the season last term for Sunderland, and Regis Le Bris will be aiming for his goalkeeper to find form sharply.

MATCH PREDICTION: BOURNEMOUTH WIN

No side has faced fewer shots in the Premier League this season than winless Bournemouth (64). It is the fewest shots faced by a team in their opening six games without winning any on record since 2003-04.

Bournemouth have not lost three consecutive Premier League matches since May 2024, while manager Marco Rose has only twice suffered three top-flight defeats in a row, losing four on the spin with Borussia Monchengladbach in March 2021 and three with RB Leipzig in January 2024.

Sunderland have lost their last three Premier League matches. The Black Cats last suffered four consecutive top-flight losses in December 2015 under Sam Allardyce.

Meanwhile, only in 1994-95 in the third tier (eight games) and 2023-24 in the Premier League (nine games) have Bournemouth endured a longer winless start to a league season.

Bournemouth have won two of their 10 league games against Sunderland (D3 L5), though both were in the Premier League in September 2015 and April 2017.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Bournemouth - 50.3%

Draw - 25.1%

Sunderland - 24.6%