Roefs: Sunderland ´must keep our heads up´ going into Bournemouth test

Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs urged his team-mates to maintain their heads up amid a latest run of kind that has seen them drop to twelfth within the Premier League.

Having began the marketing campaign strongly, Regis Le Bris’ aspect have been touted to problem for a spot in Europe subsequent season, however they’ve since misplaced their final three top-flight fixtures.

Their newest defeat noticed them go down 3-1 in opposition to Fulham on the Stadium of Gentle, with Raul Jimenez’s quickfire double within the harm doing the harm for the Cottagers.

Sunderland make the lengthy journey to Vitality Stadium this Saturday to face Bournemouth, and Roefs is hoping the Black Cats can present a response to halt their downturn in outcomes.

“We gave a number of counter-attacks away. Within the second half, we have been somewhat higher. We had good possibilities, however we weren’t there in the important thing moments,” Roefs stated.

“We must always have carried out higher, we wish to do higher, however onto the following one, and we hold our heads up. At this stage, you get punished should you don’t end possibilities.

“General, it’s one probability missed. It’s not adequate, and we have to step up our recreation.

“We struggle for one another however when we’ve got the ball, we must be safer. The one solution to carry on going is to maintain our heads up and get three factors subsequent week.”

Heading south to tackle Bournemouth #BOUSUN pic.twitter.com/ABchlQkVua

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) February 25, 2026

However Sunderland come up in opposition to a Bournemouth aspect whose resurgence again up the top-flight desk has taken them as much as eighth and inside touching distance of a European spot.

Andoni Iraola’s aspect have been, nevertheless, held to a goalless draw in opposition to West Ham of their final Premier League encounter at London Stadium, however they have been maybe lucky to flee with only a level.

West Ham’s anticipated targets (xG) complete of two.82 in opposition to Bournemouth is probably the most of any aspect who failed to attain in a single Premier League match this season, whereas the Hammers’ 20 photographs was their most in a top-flight recreation in 2025-26.

However Iraola was happy with the Cherries’ show within the capital, including that Bournemouth are one step nearer to surpassing one other factors mark of their marketing campaign aspirations.

“We had good particular person performances. No less than we’ve got not conceded any targets, and we are going to go along with some extent,” Iraola stated.

“It’s about profitable your duels, wanting the ball and attacking the areas, and we improved within the second half.

“We have now recovered a bit extra depth and, particularly within the second half, it was excellent. Away from residence, it is a tough stadium to come back to.

“We have now 38 factors and I hope subsequent to get previous 40, after which we are going to see the place we’re after we arrive.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bournemouth – Junior Croup

Junior Kroupi has scored eight targets from simply 26 photographs within the Premier League this season, the perfect shot conversion fee of any participant with 20+ makes an attempt (31%).

Nevertheless, he has failed to seek out the again of the web within the prime flight in his final three video games, whereas the final time he scored at Vitality Stadium was on January 7 in opposition to Tottenham.

Sunderland – Robin Roefs

A participant that shall be out to cease Kroupi is Roefs, who, as much as and together with their 0-0 draw with Manchester Metropolis on New 12 months’s Day, has the perfect targets prevented fee within the Premier League (4.7 – 17 targets conceded from 21.7 xGoT).

Nevertheless, since then, he’s conceded nearly 4 extra targets than anticipated (15 targets conceded from 11.4 xGoT), with solely Guglielmo Vicario having a worse fee in that point (4.1, 18 conceded from 13.9 xGoT).

MATCH PREDICTION: BOURNEMOUTH WIN

Regardless of being favoured by the Opta supercomputer, Bournemouth have misplaced three of their 4 residence league video games in opposition to Sunderland, with the exception being a 2-0 win in September 2015.

Nevertheless, solely Manchester United (10) are on an extended run of unbeaten Premier League matches than Bournemouth (seven – W4 D3). Ought to they keep away from defeat right here, it might be their second eight-game unbeaten run in 2025-26, having gone 11 matches winless between these streaks.

However solely Crystal Palace and Newcastle United (each 4) have had extra 0-0 attracts than Bournemouth’s three within the league this season, with this additionally their joint-most in a top-flight marketing campaign (additionally three in 2015-16 and 2019-20).

Sunderland, in the meantime, have misplaced their final three Premier League video games, as many as that they had of their earlier 12 (W4 D5). They final misplaced extra consecutively in December 2015 (5).

The Black Cats are, nevertheless, trying to full their second league double over Bournemouth, after the 1989-90 second tier marketing campaign following their 3-2 victory in November.

Le Bris’ aspect have 36 factors within the Premier League this season, and an anticipated factors complete of simply 27.2. Solely Aston Villa (+17.2) have overperformed their anticipated factors greater than Sunderland this time period (8.8).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Bournemouth – 59.6%

Draw – 21.1%

Sunderland – 19.3%