After a long international break, club football is back and for Bournemouth, it is potentially a season-defining six days.
The Cherries face three games within a week–**Manchester City** in the FA Cup and Ipswich Town and West Ham United in the Premier League.
Up first are Manchester City in the Sunday FA Cup Quarter Final clash, where the club have the chance to go to Wembley in the Semi Final and knock out the current competition favourites.
Then, after the City game, Bournemouth will face both Ipswich and West Ham back-to-back within a few days of each other, and with the Cherries’ form faltering lately, gaining a couple of wins is needed more than ever to get the season back on track.
The club’s spirits are high coming into the final run-in having moved into their new state-of-the-art training ground earlier this week and will hope it can rub off on the pitch to see the club progress in the Cup and gain some ground on the other European-chasing sides above them in the league.
The magic of the Cup
**Bournemouth**’s season-defining run-in begins with a huge FA Cup Quarter Final showdown against seven-time winners **Manchester City**–arguably the biggest cup fixture the club has ever played.
With almost all of the traditional ‘Big Six’ having already knocked out, the path to potential silverware is clearer than usual, sparking genuine excitement amongst Bournemouth fans.
However, standing in their way are **Pep Guardiola**’s footballing superstars, packed with world-class talent including Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, and, of course, Erling Haaland.
That being said, even if the Cherries were to pull off another upset, the road to Wembley would still be fraught with difficulties, with several strong sides still in contention like Brighton, Aston Villa, and Fulham.
But first things first—overcoming City.
Despite an uncharacteristic underwhelming season by their standards, **Guardiola**’s side remains one of the hardest challenges in English football, if not the toughest.
And the task is made harder with key defensive duo Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen missing through suspension.
**Kerkez**’s loss, in particular, is a major blow—his Man of the Match performance in **Bournemouth**’s 2-1 win over City earlier this season was crucial in nullifying their attack and exposing City’s defensive frailties.
But if there is ever a time to face City, doing so at home is ideal.
Wembley has been a fortress for **Guardiola**’s side, so avoiding a trip there works in **Bournemouth**’s favour and with the tie needing to be settled on the night and potential extra time and penalties again, having the home advantage could swing it in the host’s favour.
For the Cherries, there is a huge opportunity at hand.
**Bournemouth**’s recent win over City should serve as proof that they are capable of something special.
It leaves fans dreaming of a first-ever FA Cup Semi Final at Wembley, and if the Cherries play how they have been this season, that dream can become a reality.
Fighting for European football
Regardless of their FA Cup fate, Bournemouth will have little time to dwell on the result with back-to-back Premier League fixtures just days later.
On Wednesday, they host struggling Ipswich Town before heading to East London on Saturday for a tricky clash against West Ham.
But whilst both opponents sit at the lower end of the table, neither game will be straightforward.
Ipswich are fighting for survival, sitting 18th and nine points from safety, whilst **West Ham**’s inconsistency makes them an unpredictable challenge for any team this season.
Bournemouth are undergoing a sticky patch after their historic unbeaten run and are winless in their last four league games.
Though there is nuance to this fact, it is a frustrating stat as they enter the final stretch of the season and if they want to stay in the European race, two wins will be huge.
Under the lights, fans will expect victory over Ipswich, especially after beating them in the reverse fixture late on.
However, complacency is a danger with the Tractor Boys remaining the only club in England’s top four divisions yet to win in 2025, making them desperate for three points.
Bournemouth faced a similar scenario last season against Luton Town, and despite a stunning comeback to win the game, the Cherries found themselves 3-0 down at half time due to their complacency.
This time, they cannot afford a repeat.
West Ham, meanwhile, have been erratic under Graham Potter, with little sign of a managerial bounce.
The Cherries have not won away against the Hammers since 2018, and whilst **Potter**’s side have struggled for consistency, they still possess enough quality to punish any lapses in concentration.
The reverse fixture earlier in the season saw **Andoni Iraola**’s men struggle to break down West Ham and should expect something similar this time around.
Rediscovering their form
With the European race heating up, every point matters.
This week presents a huge opportunity for Bournemouth to bounce back in the league—but also two potential ‘banana skins’ that could derail their momentum further.
Staying focused and clinical in the games will be key to keeping this historic season on track.
With a club-record Premier League finish and points total in sight, and a potential FA Cup Semi Final too, Bournemouth’s season is far from finished.
The dream of Europe and silverware remains alive, but the team must now prove they are ready to take the next step in what will be a defining week for the club.