Twelve months ago, AFC Bournemouth hosted Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League for the first time, but a 5-1 loss made it a tough afternoon for the Cherries.
Adrian Clarke explains why there is reason to believe, though, that Eddie Howe's improving side can fare better when the two clubs meet again at Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Who will prevail on the wings?
Much like their opponents, the drive and adventure of AFC Bournemouth's full-backs form a key part of their attacking strategy.
Can Adam Smith and Charlie Daniels gain the upper hand over their Spurs counterparts and push them backwards more often than they have to retreat?
The duels on the wing will be one of this contest's most interesting tactical battles.
Howe's wide defenders love to combine with the wingers in front and, when working in tandem, they are often a force to be reckoned with.
Down the right, Smith has built a fine understanding with the in-form Junior Stanislas. In the last two home matches he has found the winger with 24 passes; that is only once more than left-back Daniels has fed Jordon Ibe on the other side.
Howe likes to manufacture overloads on the wings. We saw that happen regularly during their 6-1 defeat of Hull City, when Smith and Daniels's positive untracked runs wreaked havoc.
They also mix up their angles intelligently: sometimes they will overlap, but they will dart inside to offer a wall pass or an underlap, too. From one such burst, Smith created a lovely goal for Callum Wilson last weekend.
As for Stanislas, he is on fire.
In his last three Premier League appearances the winger has scored three goals and registered two assists, as well as creating four chances, delivering eight crosses from open play and attempting eight shots on goal.
That makes him a danger man, but as long as AFC Bournemouth get enough possession inside Spurs territory, any one of their quartet could make the difference.
With Smith excellent at drawing fouls after a surging run, Ibe a dangerous dribbler, Daniels the most prolific crosser and Stanislas a potent goal threat, the visitors must be wary when the ball is wide.
Cherries wide men per 90 minutes in 2016/17
| Successful dribbles | Open-play crosses | Shots | Chances created | |
| Smith | 1.88 | 1.75 | 0.50 | 0.75 |
| Daniels | 1.00 | 3.00 | 0.50 | 1.00 |
| Ibe | 3.18 | 1.94 | 2.12 | 1.94 |
| Stanislas | 0.86 | 1.94 | 2.58 | 0.86 |
A new role for Wilshere
No-one will be more determined to inspire a first defeat of the season for Spurs than Jack Wilshere, the midfielder on loan from Arsenal.
Enjoying his longest injury-free first-team run since autumn 2014, Wilshere's match fitness is improving match by match.
Performance-wise there is plenty more to come.
The 24-year-old has been neat and tidy, without setting the world alight for his new club. It is not only new surroundings that Wilshere must adjust to; it is also a fresh role on the pitch.
Howe prefers to use Wilshere as a central attacking midfielder and, although many regard that as the loanee's most natural position, he does not have a great deal of Premier League experience in that role.
Mesut Ozil occupies this pivotal slot for Arsenal, so Wilshere is used in a box-to-box capacity or even as a wide midfielder by Arsene Wenger. Conversely, at international level, he is often deployed as a deep-lying playmaker.
But, as shown in Wilshere's touch map from Matchweek 8, he is very much a No 10 for the Cherries.
In this part of the field it is important he combines with striker Callum Wilson at every opportunity, but as a duo they have not yet clicked into top gear.
In 279 minutes on the pitch together, Wilshere has completed only six passes to his striker, with seven coming back his way from Wilson.
Howe will need, and expect, their understanding to improve.
I see no reason why a fully fit Wilshere cannot excel in that advanced position. He hit the woodwork twice at Watford, but it may take longer than expected before we see the best of him.
Accustomed to operating in the belly of an Arsenal side who traditionally dominate possession, he is understandably getting significantly fewer touches than he is used to.
Often stationed in crowded zones ahead of the ball, for the first time in his career Wilshere is also now reliant on service.
His improved passing percentages (see table below) show he is focusing hard on retaining possession. But making a little more than half the number of passes he did at Arsenal, there are fewer chances for him to deliver a telling contribution.
He has the talent to offer AFC Bournemouth a thrilling new dimension, but to unlock his quality the Cherries must find a way of getting Wilshere on the ball more often.
Wilshere season comparison
| 2016/17 | 2015/16 | 2014/15 | 2013/14 | |
| Minutes played | 361 | 141 | 732 | 1719 |
| Passes per 90 | 34.90 | 52.98 | 64.43 | 63.82 |
| Chances created per 90 | 1.24 | 0.64 | 1.96 | 1.72 |
| Pass accuracy | 91.4% | 84.3% | 84.2% | 86.1% |
| Pass accuracy opp. half | 90.4% | 85.7% | 81.6% | 83.5% |
Spurs' disruptive pressing
Mauricio Pochettino loves seeing his side impose themselves away from home, so there will be no lack of ambition on Saturday.
On their travels Spurs average 58% of possession and 18 shots on goal per match (both ranked second in the Premier League) and, but for a stellar display from West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster in Matchweek 8, they would have had far greater rewards for their attacking endeavour.
Spurs' energetic pressing style will definitely test the Cherries.
Howe likes his defenders to play out from the back, but this philosophy comes with an obvious risk.
Prone to losing the ball cheaply in bad areas on occasion, Simon Francis's slack back-pass at home to Manchester United, and Steve Cook's intercepted pass against Hull are two recent examples of how overplaying at the back has cost them goals.
When the Spurs players hunt in packs to apply pressure, the home team will need to be careful with distribution inside their own half. Any loose passes are likely to be punished.
Battlers at the back
If AFC Bournemouth are put under severe pressure, they do at least have a pair of central defenders who know how to repel danger.
In the PL rankings, Steve Cook leads the way when it comes to making "effective clearances", and ranks second in "headed clearances" and "blocks" too.
Clearances and blocks stats 2016/17
| Effective clearances | Headed clearances | Blocks | |||
| Cook | 63 | Keane | 52 | C Davies | 17 |
| Jagielka | 63 | Cook | 51 | Cook | 11 |
| Mee | 63 | Jagielka | 48 | Djilobodji | 11 |
| Keane | 60 | Mee | 40 | Livermore | 11 |
| Vertonghen | 56 | Francis | 38 | B Gibson | 10 |
Big and aggressive, he is aided by his partner, Francis, another player excellent at heading crosses from his own penalty box.
While Spurs have enough attacking prowess to hurt anyone, breaking down a side who have only conceded once in their last three home matches may not be straightforward, with extra guile and movement possibly required.
Final thoughts
AFC Bournemouth's home form is superb. Provided that they pass well enough to get into the final third with regularity, they have the firepower to pose a threat to Spurs' unbeaten start.
Wilson's movement inside the box is sharp, cultured midfielder Harry Arter is playing some of the best football of his career, and the aforementioned wide players all carry a genuine menace.
Pochettino's men will be firm favourites and are sure to keep AFC Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc busy, especially with Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Son Heung-min brimming with confidence.
Providing Howe's team maintain standards, this has the potential to be a fast-paced thriller on the south coast.