How Bournemouth became the Premier League's best team to watch – and worst to play against

Few people expected Bournemouth’s game with Liverpool this weekend to be so important.

The Premier League’s broadcast partners certainly didn’t as they made their five picks for live TV from the 10 matches in this latest round of fixtures. Sky Sports and their TNT counterparts choosing to leave the Vitality Stadium clash in the Saturday 3pm slot, behind English football’s longstanding television ‘blackout’, means only viewers outside the UK will be able to (legally) watch what could be one of the matches of the season as it happens.

Because this might be the toughest fixture league leaders Liverpool have left as they chase a record-equalling 20th league title.

Bournemouth put five past surprise high-fliers Nottingham Forest last weekend, just seven days after they produced the biggest win by a visiting Premier League team at Newcastle’s St James’ Park in over three years. Those are not one-off results either, with Bournemouth also securing statement wins over Manchester United at Old Trafford and at home against Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham this season.

Andoni Iraola’s side are outplaying and outscoring opponents and are on course for both a club-record finish and qualification to play European football for the first time. Heading into this weekend, Bournemouth are only a point behind fourth-placed defending champions City. Iraola and his players have already made history this season with a club-record 11-game unbeaten league run, featuring seven wins and four draws, which they aim to extend tomorrow.

The first-ever player from Burkina Faso to net a @premierleague hat-trick 😍🇧🇫 pic.twitter.com/DbDiv1fNkx

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) January 25, 2025

But why and how are Bournemouth now so good? Ahmed Walid and Liam Tharme investigate.

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In football, clubs’ league position and wage expenditure correlate almost perfectly. Better teams acquire superior players and pay them more, to the extent that 90 per cent of league placings tally up with salaries.

Yet Bournemouth, who have the smallest ground in the Premier League in the 11,000-capacity Vitality Stadium, rank 17th among the 20 teams for wage expenditure and are seventh in the table after 23 of this season’s 38 games.

Neither teams nor individuals can find solutions against them right now. Forest’s Chris Wood, joint fourth-top scorer in the division this season (14), was reduced to 25 touches and no shots last Saturday. Newcastle’s No 9 Alexander Isak has scored in nine of his last 10 Premier League games. The one outlier? Bournemouth at home the previous weekend, when his solitary effort was blocked.

After beating City on November 2, Iraola was asked about Bournemouth’s ceiling. “We don’t know,” he replied. “We have the reference of last season — we finished 12th. I want to continue like this and week by week to add points. If we go down a little bit in intensity, we will struggle. I hope we will take advantage of the results we’ve had against top teams.”

That City game actually proved to be a false dawn, with Bournemouth losing their next two matches by a single goal each, but since the end of November they have been the best team in the Premier League.

City manager Pep Guardiola recently picked out Bournemouth as one of the teams in the division he feels encapsulate “modern football”, because of a tendency to be “not positional” and their capacity “to rise to the rhythm” with direct play and high pressing.

Nineteen months after his appointment, Iraola and Bournemouth have the plaudits and the points, an even more impressive feat considering they sold their top-scorer and centre-forward, Dominic Solanke, to Tottenham in the summer. Solanke scored 35 per cent of their league goals last season, which was the highest proportion in the division by one player.

Bournemouth’s success under the 42-year-old Spaniard is a story of adaptability and unique tactics which have been executed excellently.

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Nobody presses like Bournemouth.

“We always play like this, not because City came. It’s our DNA,” Iraola explained after that 2-1 win against the champions in November. “We needed this defensive work, otherwise it’s going to become a game with only one direction. If you are always low, it’s very difficult.”

Bournemouth pressed aggressively from the first minute that afternoon. Their wingers started narrow to bait passes to the full-backs, then their midfielders made aggressive runs to lock City out wide.

Their 142 final-third regains of possession this season (an average of 6.2 per game) are the most across Europe’s top four domestic leagues.

Antoine Semenyo scored their opener against City, locking off the back-post and finishing on the swivel from a Milos Kerkez left-wing cross. After 20 minutes, Iraola switched Semenyo from right to left wing and brought Marcus Tavernier to the other side. Tavenier was better tactically for defending against City left-back Josko Gvardiol and his aggressive forward runs.

“It is more difficult to do it against them because they are so good,” said Iraola. “Probably the press that works against another team, against City it doesn’t work,” he added, an explanation for swapping wingers and doubling down on their style, where other teams would be more risk-averse.

Iraola constantly makes tweaks within matches, structurally and positionally. Bournemouth typically press from a base 4-4-2 shape (against an opposition back four), keeping compact as a unit and allowing teams to play wide before they jump to keep them there. When the No 9 and No 10s close down defenders and in doing so vacate opposition midfielders, Bournemouth’s centre-backs cover big spaces to keep them marked. The pressing is hybrid, before locking on man-for-man.

One example of their adaptive pressing was away to Fulham, in a 2-2 draw last month, when Bournemouth equalised late on following a high turnover, after forcing an error by Issa Diop. Fulham typically play in a 4-2-3-1 but switched to a 3-4-3 in this match, so Iraola had to tweak the press.

Bournemouth’s No 9 Evanilson arced his run to force Fulham to play to their right (and away from the threat of wing-back Antonee Robinson). As Philip Billing jumped to centre-back Joachim Andersen from the No 10 position, midfielder Ryan Christie stepped up to cover Sasa Lukic. Right centre-back Diop is the target of the pressing trap here.

Billing then has to get over to Diop, who receives Andersen’s pass.

One of Bournemouth’s biggest strengths is on show here — the ability to close spaces in midfield and get back in on players. No 4 Lewis Cook jumps to Andreas Pereira, and far-side winger David Brooks moves inside.

The result is a four-v-four out wide, where Andersen has his lateral passing options covered (either to Diop or goalkeeper Bernd Leno) and so picks the riskiest ball. He finds the feet of Pereira, but Diop does not read the round-the-corner flick that follows and Bournemouth earn a final-third throw-in.

The 4-2 win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on November 30 was notable for Justin Kluivert’s hat-trick of penalties, but the one goal Bournemouth scored in open play that day was trademark Iraola.

As one employee at the south-coast club, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, put it, it was “essentially the best ‘Bournemouth philosophy’ clip you’ll get”.

First, they locked Wolves out wide with aggressive jumps from No 10 Kluivert and winger Brooks. At the same time, Christie stayed close to Wolves’ deepest midfielder and far-side winger Tavernier came narrow to cut off the switch.

Wolves’ Toti Gomes duly runs out of options, so hits a long pass out of defence.

The role of the far-side winger tucking in might seem minor but, for a high-pressing team who often end up man-for-man, minimising opposition out-balls (and being in a position to duel for possession if these are played) is essential. Bournemouth have the second-lowest aerial duel success rate in the Premier League but opposing sides have only completed 78.7 per cent of passes against them, which is also the second-lowest.

On this occasion, Illia Zabarnyi wins the aerial duel for Bournemouth.

Brooks gets the second ball, setting it back for Tyler Adams, who punches it forward to Christie.

Bournemouth come alive with a quick, vertical sequence and forward runners. Seven passes in nine seconds culminate with Christie and No 9 Evanilson playing a one-two, and the former playing wide to Tavernier. He releases Kerkez — the left-back, who had started on the halfway line to help defend the initial long pass by Toti — and he fires a shot high past Jose Sa and into the net.

After that win, Iraola singled out Evanilson for his pressing and off-ball work. Staff at the club feel Bournemouth’s out-of-possession style suits the two-cap Brazil international superbly, and whatever he lacks in goal output (five in 21 appearances since joining from Portugal’s Porto in August; he is currently out with a foot fracture) is compensated for by his all-round game.

Evanilson, effectively Solanke’s replacement, is a perfect example of Bournemouth’s succession planning. There are internal expectations that Dean Huijsen, Zabarnyi, Kerkez and Semenyo could all move for big fees soon. Only Chelsea (24.1) and Brighton (25.7) have a younger average starting XI age than Bournemouth this season.

In an interview with UK broadcaster Sky Sports, Iraola said that there are “probably times when we suffer, experience-wise, especially with our defenders, because a lot of them are very young, but they give us the ability to defend big spaces and cope with those situations”.

Notably, Bournemouth have forced the fewest offsides (23) in the Premier League this season. Iraola has spoken about their defensive line not being as aggressive as those of other high-pressing teams. Instead, the focus is on pushing teams into hitting long balls or baiting opponents into traps where regains — or fouls — can be made.

Once Bournemouth win the ball back, they attack quickly on the transition to catch out the opponents before they can return to their defensive shape.

Looking at Bournemouth’s possession regains in the attacking 60 per cent of the pitch in the league this season, 12 per cent have ended with a shot within 10 seconds — the highest share in the division.

The profiles of Bournemouth’s forwards allow them to excel in these situations because of their pace, dribbling ability and understanding of which spaces to attack.

Iraola’s side tends to focus on attacking the wide areas in transitional situations, and the movement of the far-side winger adds to their threat on the break.

In this example, from the 3-0 victory at Old Trafford in December, Semenyo wins the ball in midfield, and plays it to Evanilson, who attacks the space out wide.

Bournemouth’s centre-forward then finds Dango Ouattara’s run behind the United defence, while Semenyo occupies a more central position to pose a threat inside the penalty area.

As United’s defenders drop to protect the space between themselves and their goalkeeper, Ouattara plays the cutback to Semenyo, who scores with a one-touch finish.

In another example, against Newcastle in August, Semenyo wins the ball in the opposition territory and Tavernier — who is the far-side winger here — immediately dashes infield to attack the central space.

This narrow positioning of Tavernier offers a better crossing option: because Newcastle’s right centre-back, Emil Krafth, is occupied by Evanilson, Bournemouth’s left-winger is in position to attack that vacated space.

Semenyo finds Tavernier, who scores from close range.

This type of movement from Bournemouth’s far-side winger is a staple of their arsenal in transitional situations. Iraola’s team mainly look to attack the wide areas, and the opposition’s unorganised defence naturally shifts towards the ball, leaving a bigger space on the other side of the pitch.

Their direct approach in transitions is mirrored in possession as well. Only Forest (1.8 metres per second) are moving the ball upfield faster than Bournemouth (1.6) in the Premier League this season. On top of that, they have the division’s second-lowest average number of passes per sequence at 2.8.

When they go long, it isn’t due to a fear of losing the ball against the opposition’s press.

“It’s something that we normally do,” Iraola said, when asked if they had deliberately targeted Guardiola’s team with long balls during that November win. “I think we have players who attack very well the spaces in-behind. We have pace up front and normally with the wingers, even Justin from the 10 position, he arrives very well to these spaces behind the line.

“We use very well the long balls with Marcos (Senesi), with the full-backs and then it stretches the team because they have to defend the depth, so we can find those spaces in-between if they go too low.”

Huijsen, Senesi and Zabarnyi are all in the top 10 outfield players for long balls attempted per 90 minutes — defined as passes that travel at least 32m (35 yards) — among those with at least 900 minutes of game time in the Premier League this season.

Long balls from the left side in particular — where Huijsen has been covering for the injured Senesi since December — has been a feature of Bournemouth’s attacking play, with Kerkez and whoever the left-winger is in a given match synchronising their movements to combine and attack the space.

In that victory over City, Bournemouth’s winner came from a long ball played by Senesi towards Semenyo and Kerkez.

As their left centre-back hits the pass to Semenyo, Kerkez dashes forward…

… and his run occupies right-back Kyle Walker. This allows Semenyo to freely dribble forward after controlling the ball…

… which forces Manuel Akanji to step out of the defensive line. Meanwhile, Kerkez is continuing his run, and Semenyo finds him behind City’s back four.

The speed of the attack and the movement of Kerkez create a four-versus-three situation for Bournemouth, and their left-back finds Evanilson’s run into the penalty area…

… before the Brazilian slots the ball into the bottom corner.

In another example, against Everton this month, Bournemouth’s winner originates from a similar long ball down their left.

Here, Christie’s positioning near the touchline forces Ashley Young (highlighted at the far right of the frame below) to be higher up the pitch.

Huijsen plays a long ball up towards Semenyo and Kerkez, who are overloading right-back Nathan Patterson.

Semenyo wins the aerial duel and flicks the ball into the path of Kerkez, whose initial movement puts him in the perfect position to attack the space in-behind.

Bournemouth’s Serbian left-back then finds Brooks towards the back post, and the right-winger volleys the ball into the back of the net.

Brooksy comp 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ChoD0NkUHV

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) January 21, 2025

The focus on attacking the wide areas is also visible in Kluivert’s role as a marauding No 10.

The Dutchman is an attacking midfielder on paper, but he constantly roams to overload the flanks and support Bournemouth’s passing combinations in those zones.

Bournemouth’s first and last goals in the recent 4-1 win at Newcastle illustrated how threatening Kluivert’s roams can be.

For the opening goal, Kluivert’s overload creates a three-v-two scenario down the visitors’ left, with right-back Tino Livramento keeping an eye on Semenyo and winger Jacob Murphy in between the latter and Kerkez.

Christie’s pass to Semenyo forces Livramento to move up, and after Bournemouth’s left-winger plays the return pass…

… he curves his run to attack the space behind Livramento. Meanwhile, Kerkez surges forward down the wing and Kluivert dashes inside to put Murphy in a situation where he has to leave one or the other of them free.

Christie then finds Semenyo’s run behind the defence…

… which Murphy reacts late to because of the wide overload, allowing Kluivert to attack the space between the lines. Semenyo then plays the cutback to the Netherlands international…

… who strikes the ball into the far bottom corner for a 1-0 lead.

If Iraola’s tactics have elevated Bournemouth between both boxes, part of their success owes to quality in them too. There have been inventive set-piece routines for opening goals against Arsenal and Tottenham, plus well-executed wide free kicks at Manchester United and Aston Villa.

Bournemouth have scored 16 goals in the final 15 minutes of their matches, the most in the league, and they have the best-performing goalkeepers too — collectively, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Mark Travers and Neto have prevented almost 10 goals above average (based on the quality of shots faced).

Such change at the back is symptomatic of Bournemouth’s season.

Neto started it as first-choice but then joined Arsenal on loan in late August, Huijsen has slotted in seamlessly for the injured Senesi and struck up an instant partnership with Zabarnyi and defensive midfielder Cook is filling in as a right-back. In Evanilson’s absence, Ouattara, a nominal winger, has led the line.

Where other clubs have been derailed by injuries, Bournemouth have adapted with different personnel while sticking to their principles — that recent win against Forest was the first time Iraola named an unchanged XI all season.

Even so, as other high-intensity Premier League clubs have found, adding European commitments to your schedule can be problematic, something Bournemouth may have to deal with next season.

It all means that this visit of Liverpool tomorrow ought to make for a fascinating clash of styles, as well as being a meeting of two of the league’s in-form teams — Arne Slot’s men are unbeaten in 18 league matches since losing to Forest in September.

Bournemouth lost 10 and drew two of their 12 fixtures against last season’s top six, but a 3-0 defeat at Anfield is their only loss by more than one goal in this one, evidence of how Iraola has raised their floor and ceiling simultaneously.

The days of Scott Parker’s four-game Premier League reign, Gary O’Neil’s sacking after keeping them up in that 2022-23 season and the ‘careful what you wish for’ comments on Iraola’s appointment that summer (amplified by his subsequent slow start) are now just distant memories.

Bournemouth took a risk, backed their new head coach, recruited smartly, refined their style and are now one of the Premier League’s best teams to watch — and worst to play against.

(Top photo: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)