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The Cherries are flying high after a five-game unbeaten run built on their ability to hunt possession all over the pitch
By Ben McAleer for WhoScored
A little over a year ago, Bournemouth celebrated their first win at Old Trafford. Goals from Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi secured the spoils on a memorable day for the south-coast side. Twelve months later, it has happened again. Bournemouth celebrated another 3-0 win at Manchester United on Sunday after Dean Huijsen, Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo scored for Andoni Iraola’s side.
Of the original goalscorers, only one – Billing – featured in some capacity to inflict a miserable Christmas on Ruben Amorim. Solanke was sold to Tottenham over the summer and Senesi is injured. But even with changes to personnel, Bournemouth will start Boxing Day in the European spots. Despite the big-money departure of last season’s top scorer, they continue to exceed expectations.
Iraola deserves immense credit. It is high time the Spaniard received due praise, particularly when certain other managers – Nuno Espírito Santo, Fabian Hürzeler and Marco Silva, to name three – rightly draw adulation. Iraola’s exploits have flown somewhat under the radar. Bournemouth have this season beaten Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and United, the victories against Spurs and at Old Trafford part of a five-game unbeaten run that has lifted the team to fifth.
Even without Solanke Bournemouth are more than capable of hurting opponents. With 27 goals they are the division’s joint-seventh highest scorers and their return should be higher. Only City (17.3) are averaging more shots per game than Bournemouth (16.5), who have generated a 36.8 xG, ranking third. That means they are underperforming their Expected Goals haul by 9.8 but the exit of Solanke, addition of Evanilson and the increase in importance of Semenyo meant there were going to be teething issues in the final third.
This came to the fore when Bournemouth won one of their opening five games, a late 3-2 victory at Everton in August. But the players continued to abide by Iraola’s gameplan and only one of their five league defeats has come by more than a goal. Iraola has favoured 4-2-3-1 throughout his 18 months at Bournemouth. The core players are well-versed in his demands for a high-intensity approach designed to force turnovers.
Bournemouth supporters won’t often see their team dominate a game, evident in a 44.9% possession return that is the fifth lowest in the Premier League this season. Yet the players make up for a lack of ball by hunting possession effectively. Bournemouth rank top for possession won in the defensive (389), midfield (377) and attacking thirds (109). Illia Zabarnyi (52) ranks third in defence, Ryan Christie (56) ranks first in midfield and Semenyo (19) ranks third in attack.
Bournemouth have established themselves as one of the Premier League’s most awkward teams to take on. Opponents are aware of the challenge but struggle to contain a team who seek to break quickly. Bournemouth have had the fifth most shots after a counterattack (19) and rank third for accurate long balls per game (24.4) as they look to spring upfield once they have won possession.
Supporters were singing about European qualification during Sunday’s win at United. “Our real goal is to play in Europe,” Bournemouth’s owner, Bill Foley, said recently and with teams such as Spurs and City floundering, that dream may just become a reality.
With Bournemouth having a relatively favourable festive fixture schedule – home games against Crystal Palace and Everton sandwich a trip to Fulham – many are expecting them to maintain their good form. After the progress made under Iraola, a European finish would be the cherry on top of the cake.
The Iraola effect: how Bournemouth make a high-intensity gameplan work
