Bournemouth 0-0 Crystal Palace: Cherries maintain unbeaten run with hard-fought goalless draw against Eagles

AFC Bournemouth maintained their unbeaten streak at six matches in the top tier with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against a determined Crystal Palace team at the Vitality Stadium on Boxing Day.

Andoni Iraola’s squad appeared to be riding high on confidence following their impressive victory over Manchester United the previous weekend, as they nearly took the lead on two occasions within the first 25 minutes against Palace.

In the 19th minute, Justin Kluivert set up wide player Dango Ouattara, but the Burkinabé forward lost his composure and sent his attempt wide of the target.

Just two minutes later, Antoine Semenyo found himself with a chance after Palace failed to clear a corner, yet Ismaïla Sarr managed to clear the Ghanaian's shot off the line.

Despite Bournemouth's attacking superiority in the first half, it was the visitors who found the net. Sarr was played through on goal and finished with precision, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.

Prior to their 5-1 defeat at home to Arsenal, Oliver Glasner’s team had enjoyed a five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League, and their strong away form this season has been pivotal in their quest for safety, a trend that continued in this match.

Bournemouth pressed forward but Palace held their ground, limiting the home side to long-range efforts while looking to exploit counter-attacking opportunities.

Despite the visitors' solid defensive display, Bournemouth has secured notable victories at the Vitality Stadium this season, including a win against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month. They nearly broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute when Lewis Cook played a clever ball to substitute Evanilson, but Trevor Chalobah effectively contained him, forcing the Brazilian to miss the target.

Five minutes later, Cook demonstrated his creativity once more, this time offering an opportunity to Philip Billing; however, the Danish forward's attempt was not on target.

The home team has excelled in the Premier League this season, particularly in scoring during the final ten minutes, yet they were unable to secure the vital goal and had to accept a draw, which nonetheless maintains their pursuit of European football for the upcoming season.

For Crystal Palace, Glasner will be relieved to move past a challenging week, achieving a well-deserved draw in the Premier League.