Beaten 5-1 at Chelsea last month, eight straight wins now: how Marco Rose turned Bournemouth into the form team in England
Bournemouth go into the international break as the form team in English football. Marco Rose’s side have won eight games in a row in all competitions, including a 3-0 win at Old Trafford and a victory over AC Milan, and they sit seventh in the Premier League, three points behind Liverpool in fourth.
It is a remarkable turnaround. Only last month, AFC Bournemouth were beaten 5-1 at Chelsea. The latest win, 2-1 at Ipswich, was their fourth straight in the league.
So what has changed, and can they keep it going?
How have Bournemouth won eight in a row?
The first answer is pressure. Rose’s teams have always hunted the ball high up the pitch, and Bournemouth now do it with real conviction. The opener at Ipswich summed it up: Christian Walton tried to take the ball round Evanilson, and Evanilson took it off him and scored. Their second came straight after half-time from another turnover. Bournemouth do not need long spells of possession to hurt teams; they win the ball back where it matters.
The second answer is a striker in form. Evanilson has scored in five Premier League games in a row. He works hard without the ball, which suits Rose, and he is finishing the chances that the press creates.
The bench is winning games too
The third answer is depth, and it may be the most important. Bournemouth are playing in the Europa League as well as the Premier League, and Rose has used his whole squad. Substitutes have changed games during this run: Eli Junior Kroupi came off the bench to set up a goal against Leeds, Amine Adli scored his third goal in four games as a sub, and the bench kept Bournemouth’s perfect Europa League record going in early November.
That matters because Alex Scott, their best midfielder, has been out with a hamstring injury for much of the run. A season ago, losing Scott would have hurt badly. Now Bournemouth win without him.
Who are Bournemouth’s key players?
Kroupi is the headline name. The 20-year-old has broken records for the club and is valued at around €100m, with Arsenal, Tottenham, Barcelona and Juventus all watching. Justin Kluivert has three goals and two assists in 13 games, and Marcus Tavernier and Ryan Christie bring energy and goals from midfield.
At the back, Djordje Petrovic has been reliable in goal, and the side has learned to see games out, as they did through nine minutes of stoppage time at Portman Road.
Can Bournemouth finish in the top four?
It is not as far-fetched as it sounds. Three points is the gap to fourth, and the league is more open than it has been for years: Manchester United have just sacked their manager, Chelsea have lost three of their first five away games, and Liverpool have looked loose at times.
The danger is the schedule. Europa League football plus the Premier League over December will test a squad that relies on running and pressing. And January could bring offers: Chelsea have made Scott their main target, and clubs across Europe are asking about Kroupi.
Verdict: the best-run small club in the league
Bournemouth have shown again that good decisions beat big budgets. They sold well, recruited young players with room to grow and hired a coach whose style suits the squad. Our view: a top-six finish is realistic if they keep Scott and Kroupi in January, and anything more would be a bonus. For more on the side, read about Justin Kluivert’s form and his Real Madrid comments, or relive the latest win in our Ipswich 1-2 Bournemouth report.