The Iraola effect: how Bournemouth make a high-intensity gameplan work
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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.
![[WhoScored’s Premier League team of the week.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/6abb5bdda3854a430b11a9466afda6697358a9ed/0_0_1080_1083/master/1080.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
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.
