Bournemouth are enjoying a brilliant start to the 2025-26 Premier League, picking up an impressive 10 points from their first five games.
This is the joint-most the Cherries have ever got after five matches in a Premier League season, alongside 2018-19. Back then, they actually had a better goal difference (+3 to this year’s +1), but sat fifth in the table. Now, they’re fourth.
And if you want to understand why Bournemouth have been exceeding expectations, look no further than their manager Andoni Iraola. Since arriving on the south coast in 2023, he has done a tremendous job stabilising them following a rough 2022-23 season that saw them fighting against relegation most of the year.
In this article, we’ll cover
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Defensive solidity
Looking purely at the stats, it may not seem like Bournemouth have a solid defence. They’ve conceded five goals in five games so far, which doesn’t sound spectacular.
But four of those five came on opening day against Liverpool, meaning that in the other four games they’ve limited their opponents to just one goal (2-1 win over Brighton).
The Cherries are really good at avoiding dangerous situations. For starters, they get a lot of work done near the opposing goal. In addition, Djordje Petrovic has faced the fifth-fewest shots on target among the goalkeepers to have played all five games in the Premier League this season.
The primal example of this approach was their incredible 1-0 away win over Tottenham Hotspur. Despite having over 60% possession, the hosts attempted just five shots – the first of which came in the 55th minute. Meanwhile, Bournemouth had 20 attempts and three big chances with just 39% possession.
Key defensive stats
- 9.5 passes allowed per defensive action (1st)
- 5.4 shots conceded from inside the box (2nd fewest)
- 3.6 expected goals against (3rd fewest)
Tactical versatility
The Cherries have won three Premier League games so far, each with a different percentage of possession. 59% against Wolves, 51% vs Brighton and 39% over Tottenham.
This indicates that Iraola feels comfortable in any footballing context. He’s been able to lead Bournemouth to victory by dominating possession, sharing it evenly or sitting deep to hit opponents on the counter.
His direct approach means that even on the ball, they can still get it forward quickly and play with speed. There are a lot of mechanisms to trigger the wingers out wide and get them or the overlapping fullbacks in diagonal runs towards the goal.
Of course, none of that would be possible without the double pivot of Tyler Adams and Alex Scott in midfield. The hard-working duo are the heartbeat of the team, dictating the rythm both in and out of possession. It’s what enables the team to step up without allowing opponent’s to break their high press or cover ground in a low block.
Key midfield stats
- 4.6 possessions won in the final third (1st)
- 21.4 possessions won in the middle third (tied-1st)
- 9.0 interceptions (3rd most)
The brilliance of Antoine Semenyo
We’d be remiss not to dedicate a full section to their main man Antoine Semenyo. The Ghanaian winger had already enjoyed a strong 2024-25 Premier League season, picking up 11 goals and five assists in 37 games (36 of them as a starter, averaging 87 minutes per match).
His high motor remains on full display this campaign, being one of only two forwards to have played all 450 minutes, alongside West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen.
But there is so much more he brings to the table. He’s a serious goalscoring threat, as seen in the opener against Liverpool, when he bagged a brace – having done the same in last season’s final day against Leicester City.
The 25-year-old is also their main creative mind, setting up his team’s winner against Wolves and the opening goal against Brighton. And he also acts as a hub for long balls to get the Cherries out of their own box to establish them in the attacking half. All of that while also being technically gifted to take defenders on.
This could be even more of a breakout season, when everything falls into place and Semenyo cements himself as one of the best, most complete and versatile forwards in England.
Not only is he one of just three Premier League players with 2+ goals and assists (Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Chelsea’s Joao Pedro), but he’s also one of only three footballers with 8+ chances created (8), tackles made (9) and take-ons completed (11), alongside Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus and Everton’s Jack Grealish.
Key individual stats among Bournemouth players
- 3 goals (1st)
- 2 assists (1st)
- 13 shot attempts (1st)
- 8 chances created (1st)
- 85 duels contested (1st)
- 36 duels won (1st)
If Bournemouth want to turn their hot start into a year-long thing and compete for European spots, they’ll need Semenyo and Iraola to continue delivering the goods.