An established side
Bournemouth aren’t one of the bigger clubs in England, and when it comes to club size, they are dwarfed by some of the giants in the Premier League. However, in a football match, that rarely matters.
The Cherries have consistently punched above their weight for quite a while now. In 2008/09, they received a points deduction for financial problems and finished 21st in League Two. Six seasons later, they were promoted to the top flight for the first time in their history.
They had five full campaigns in the Premier League before being relegated but bounced back from the Championship at the second time of asking. Now, they are arguably in the strongest position they have ever been.
Black Knight Football Club – a group spearheaded by Bill Foley that includes Hollywood star Michael B. Jordan - took over the ownership of Bournemouth in December 2022. They have put in a lot of money, helping them climb up the division as a result.
Now they have eyes on a top-half finish and possibly a place in Europe.
Andoni Iraola has impressed since taking overAndoni Iraola has impressed since taking over (Image: PA) Iraola’s impact
When Gary O’Neil was sacked by Bournemouth, eyebrows were raised.
He only lasted a season at the club and was sacked after guiding them to a 15th-place finish in their first season back in the Premier League. The decision was criticised by the national media, putting pressure on his replacement, Andoni Iraola.
The Spaniard had a successful stint with Rayo Vallecano, a relatively small club based in a neighbourhood of Madrid, playing an attractive brand of football. Bournemouth realised that their position wasn’t too dissimilar to that of the La Liga outfit, approaching Iraola to become their new manager.
In his maiden campaign in English football, he helped the Cherries reach 48 points, taking them up to 12th place – the highest finish in the club’s history. There’s a hope that the 42-year-old can continue to take them to new heights, but an awareness that success will bring interest from bigger clubs.
Dean Huijsen scores Bournemouth's winner against Spurs on Thursday - they were very impressiveDean Huijsen scores Bournemouth's winner against Spurs on Thursday - they were very impressive (Image: PA) Giant killers
When one Premier League side beats another, it's hard to label it as a 'giant killing', but perhaps there can be an exception in Bournemouth's case.
The Cherries' current record is okay. They have won six, drawn three and lost five of their 14 games, which places them ninth in the table. Defeats to Leicester City, Brentford and Brighton will sting, however, particularly considering how they tend to fare against the best sides in the league.
Yes, Liverpool comfortably dispatched them 3-0 at Anfield and Chelsea are one of just two sides to win at the Vitality Stadium so far this season. Home comforts are clearly big for Bournemouth, and they raised a lot of eyebrows with a 2-0 win against Arsenal back in October. The only caveat was William Saliba's controversial red card in the first half.
In their next home game, they saw off reigning champions Manchester City, beating them 2-1. Then, in their most recent game on Thursday evening, they claimed the scalp of Tottenham. A 1-0 win, on the surface, could indicate a smash-and-grab victory - it was anything but.
Iraola's men managed 21 shots, eight of which were on target, registering an xG of 3.71. They had a goal disallowed and missed a number of brilliant chances. With better finishing, they easily could have won by four or five goals.
Confidence will be sky high in Dorset right now.
Evanilson is a danger man for the CherriesEvanilson is a danger man for the Cherries (Image: PA) Big shoes to fill
Every club outside of the top six has to trade upwards. Bournemouth are no different, and as a result, they had to part with star striker Dominic Solanke over the summer.
It was their only notable departure, but one that saw a player worth 19 goals to them last season head for pastures new. The Cherries received a £65 million fee from Spurs, however, and they certainly used it well.
The money was spread out over a handful of assets, but the bulk of it was spent on Brazilian hotshot Evanilson, who joined from FC Porto for a reported fee of £40.2 million in August.
Fans have been impressed with him so far. Four goals in 13 games isn't an incredible return, but it's his work rate, pace and energy that counts for so much in this Bournemouth team. He's adept at drawing fouls and looks well-suited to the Premier League.
Iraola's men have also spread out the attacking burden since Solanke's departure, having relied on him heavily last season. Justin Kluivert has five goals and two assists while Antoine Semenyo has found the back of the net four times. On the left, Marcus Tavernier has registered an assist in each of his last two games and now has four for the season. There's a lot of quality on the bench too.
It feels like they have ended up on the better side of the Solanke transfer saga.
Justin Kluivert is also a man to watch for BournemouthJustin Kluivert is also a man to watch for Bournemouth (Image: PA) Team news
Bournemouth have a few absentees, including centre-back Marco Senesi. The Argentine had to come off towards the latter stages of the 4-2 win at Wolves and Iraola has since confirmed it as a 'significant quad injury' that will rule him out for quite a while.
19-year-old Dean Huijsen replaced him at the back against Tottenham and bagged the winner with his first goal in English football. He's set to start again this weekend.
Colombian speedster Luis Sinisterra has been absent since October after picking up a knock. Starlet Alex Scott (meniscus) is still a few weeks away from a comeback, while Julian Araujo (hamstring) is a long-term absentee.
Having played so recently and facing a long journey up to Suffolk, it remains to be seen whether Iraola will switch up his team to keep things fresh. He isn't the type of manager that likes to make unforced changes, especially off the back of an impressive victory.
Possible XI: 4-2-3-1: Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Cook, Adams; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson