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The five Bournemouth stars behind their rise this season

The five Bournemouth stars behind their rise this season

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Second in the Premier League, unbeaten since the opening day away to the champions, nearly £100m in profits banked in the summer transfer market. Can it really stay so good for Bournemouth?

By Karl Matchett

Incredible start, critical test

After a late and undeserved 4-2 defeat at Liverpool back in August, Bournemouth have rattled off five wins and three draws in the next eight. That has taken them to behind only Arsenal, with only Spurs, Man City and Chelsea (17) scoring more goals than the Cherries (16). It’s the hottest of hot streaks for a club which has never finished higher than ninth, but talk is already starting over how much better it could get. To answer that, they need to reach the next international break without a major setback and the two games are tough: away to Man City and Aston Villa, perhaps neither one at their absolute best yet but both showing that when they are in the mood, they are tough to stand against. City have scored ten in their last three home games; Villa have won four on the bounce. A two-match litmus test of just how good Andoni Iraola’s side really are in 2025/26.

Star of the show

It will be described as a group effort publicly, but a handful of players on the pitch are definitely outperforming this year – with Antoine Semenyo front and centre in that group. Despite summer rumours he did not join Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Dango Ouattara and Ilya Zabarnyi in leaving the club and has instead started the season flying.

Six league goals puts him second behind only goal machine Erling Haaland (11) but it’s his all-round contribution which is so impressive. The powerhouse attacker also has three assists and is third in the squad for final third possession won per 90, second for chances created (11) and top for xG (3.8), dribbles completed per 90 (2.2)…and big chances missed (4) if anyone’s keeping tally. He could be even closer to Haaland.

Determined, direct, incredibly skilful and capable of rocketing off a shot with either foot, he’s a handful coming in off the channels, a brilliant outlet for the team under pressure and is showing the consistency of top players too: across the last year he ranks above 80% of other attacking midfielders or wingers around Europe for defensive actions, shots and goals – plus 95% of them for aerials won – and all this despite only ranking ahead of fewer than a third of them (29%) of them for touches.

Cherries’ super spine

Semenyo is not, of course, doing it alone. Iraola has put in place a consistent backbone of the team despite those defensive departures last summer, which – so far at least – has proven a sound foundation.

Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic had his detractors at Chelsea but has a 71% save rate this term, preventing 1.7 goals already – that’s fifth-best in the league, with his four clean sheets good enough for joint-third highest at this stage. Ahead of him, Marco Senesi was arguably third choice at centre back last term but has begun this campaign in very good form, with 8.0 clearances per 90 putting him behind only Virgil van Dijk among those to make 50 or more this term. A word too for Alex Scott, who looks to have finally put injury and inconsistency behind him and who has been excellent as part of Bournemouth’s double-pivot midfield.

Alex Scott’s player traits comparison

He won’t necessarily top the numbers game, but his industrious off-the-ball efforts are crucial both defensively and offensively, while he’s also a key conduit for the team’s build-up play, getting it swiftly into the feet of the key chance-creators further upfield. Scott isn’t a headline-grabber, yet is one of those can-do-everything players who is somehow good at both ball-winning and ball-playing, running backwards and getting shots away forwards.

And finally, short-term impact though it is so far, Eli Junior Kroupi cannot be overlooked. The 19-year-old arrived last winter, stayed on loan at Lorient and began as sub for Evanilson – but has four goals in 165 minutes and given that low gametime is second in the league for shots per 90, top for on target per 90 and is second in Bournemouth’s squad for final third possession wins per 90. Iraola has already pointed out he has plenty to learn outside the box, but it’s a stunning start inside it.

Iraola and the Champions League

But back to the star on the sidelines. It seems utterly improbable that Andoni Iraola will next season do anything but manage in the Uefa Champions League – it just remains to be seen where that is. Perhaps he could feasibly move to a ‘fallen giant’ if one is outside the top clubs, but right now it appears equally possible that he qualifies for it with Bournemouth. One spanner in the works: his contract is up at the end of the season.

Of course, guaranteeing eight games in Europe’s top competition – where he only actually played three times in his career with Athletic Club – would be a pretty good incentive to get him to pen for another year or two, yet it feels unrealistic that if he got a mid-table team to gatecrash the most expensive party on planet football, that the biggest and brightest wouldn’t come calling. The first job though is, not-so-simply, to get there – and Bournemouth fans are absolutely loving the journey. The future can wait, be it for celebration or ‘only’ continued progress.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

The five Bournemouth stars behind their rise this season

Second in the Premier League, unbeaten since the opening day away to the champions, nearly £100m in profits banked in the summer transfer market. Can it really stay so good for Bournemouth?

By Karl Matchett

Incredible start, critical test

After a late and undeserved 4-2 defeat at Liverpool back in August, Bournemouth have rattled off five wins and three draws in the next eight. That has taken them to behind only Arsenal, with only Spurs, Man City and Chelsea (17) scoring more goals than the Cherries (16). It’s the hottest of hot streaks for a club which has never finished higher than ninth, but talk is already starting over how much better it could get. To answer that, they need to reach the next international break without a major setback and the two games are tough: away to Man City and Aston Villa, perhaps neither one at their absolute best yet but both showing that when they are in the mood, they are tough to stand against. City have scored ten in their last three home games; Villa have won four on the bounce. A two-match litmus test of just how good Andoni Iraola’s side really are in 2025/26.

Star of the show

It will be described as a group effort publicly, but a handful of players on the pitch are definitely outperforming this year – with Antoine Semenyo front and centre in that group. Despite summer rumours he did not join Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Dango Ouattara and Ilya Zabarnyi in leaving the club and has instead started the season flying.

Six league goals puts him second behind only goal machine Erling Haaland (11) but it’s his all-round contribution which is so impressive. The powerhouse attacker also has three assists and is third in the squad for final third possession won per 90, second for chances created (11) and top for xG (3.8), dribbles completed per 90 (2.2)…and big chances missed (4) if anyone’s keeping tally. He could be even closer to Haaland.

Determined, direct, incredibly skilful and capable of rocketing off a shot with either foot, he’s a handful coming in off the channels, a brilliant outlet for the team under pressure and is showing the consistency of top players too: across the last year he ranks above 80% of other attacking midfielders or wingers around Europe for defensive actions, shots and goals – plus 95% of them for aerials won – and all this despite only ranking ahead of fewer than a third of them (29%) of them for touches.

Cherries’ super spine

Semenyo is not, of course, doing it alone. Iraola has put in place a consistent backbone of the team despite those defensive departures last summer, which – so far at least – has proven a sound foundation.

Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic had his detractors at Chelsea but has a 71% save rate this term, preventing 1.7 goals already – that’s fifth-best in the league, with his four clean sheets good enough for joint-third highest at this stage. Ahead of him, Marco Senesi was arguably third choice at centre back last term but has begun this campaign in very good form, with 8.0 clearances per 90 putting him behind only Virgil van Dijk among those to make 50 or more this term. A word too for Alex Scott, who looks to have finally put injury and inconsistency behind him and who has been excellent as part of Bournemouth’s double-pivot midfield.

Alex Scott’s player traits comparison

He won’t necessarily top the numbers game, but his industrious off-the-ball efforts are crucial both defensively and offensively, while he’s also a key conduit for the team’s build-up play, getting it swiftly into the feet of the key chance-creators further upfield. Scott isn’t a headline-grabber, yet is one of those can-do-everything players who is somehow good at both ball-winning and ball-playing, running backwards and getting shots away forwards.

And finally, short-term impact though it is so far, Eli Junior Kroupi cannot be overlooked. The 19-year-old arrived last winter, stayed on loan at Lorient and began as sub for Evanilson – but has four goals in 165 minutes and given that low gametime is second in the league for shots per 90, top for on target per 90 and is second in Bournemouth’s squad for final third possession wins per 90. Iraola has already pointed out he has plenty to learn outside the box, but it’s a stunning start inside it.

Iraola and the Champions League

But back to the star on the sidelines. It seems utterly improbable that Andoni Iraola will next season do anything but manage in the Uefa Champions League – it just remains to be seen where that is. Perhaps he could feasibly move to a ‘fallen giant’ if one is outside the top clubs, but right now it appears equally possible that he qualifies for it with Bournemouth. One spanner in the works: his contract is up at the end of the season.

Of course, guaranteeing eight games in Europe’s top competition – where he only actually played three times in his career with Athletic Club – would be a pretty good incentive to get him to pen for another year or two, yet it feels unrealistic that if he got a mid-table team to gatecrash the most expensive party on planet football, that the biggest and brightest wouldn’t come calling. The first job though is, not-so-simply, to get there – and Bournemouth fans are absolutely loving the journey. The future can wait, be it for celebration or ‘only’ continued progress.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.