NATHAN Ake is looking forward to taking on close friend Patrick van Aanholt tonight – as long as he stops his run of netting against Cherries.

The Dutch pair both came through the Chelsea academy and are regularly part of the Netherlands national squad together.

And they are set to go head-to-head at Selhurst Park tonight (7.30pm), when Cherries battle Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Left-back van Aanholt enjoyed his clashes with the Dorset club last season, netting in both the 2-1 defeat at Vitality Stadium and the Eagles’ final-day 5-3 success in south London.

“The last few seasons he’s been scoring against us so hopefully he doesn’t do that again,” Ake told the Daily Echo.

“It’s always good to see him, but we just go there to get the three points.”

He added: “We always have to stay positive.

"People always say it’s one win in eight or nine, but if you see all the games I think we’ve been in it and it’s been defining moments that killed us in a lot of games.

"I think if we get over that, we will pick up points for sure.

“Every game is a big game for us. We know that.

“We know we have to start picking up points.”