Bournemouth had a brilliant start to the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
The Cherries sat second in the table after nine games, with five wins and just one defeat. But Andoni Iraola’s men have taken just one point from their past five in the league, dropping them down to 14th.
Many expected Bournemouth to struggle a little this season, having sold plenty of players including a number of defenders. But a brilliant start saw those fears evaporate. It may have been rather prematurely, though.
In this article, we’ll cover
Bournemouth’s excellent start
Bournemouth scored 16 goals across their first nine league games, averaging 1.8 per match. Antoine Semenyo was in fine form, scoring six goals and providing three assists across his first seven appearances.
Bournemouth were also able to build on defensive foundations. The Cherries kept four clean sheets in their opening nine matches, winning three games without conceding.
There has been a big change, though, which has contributed to Bournemouth’s more recent struggles. The Cherries have averaged 16.4 possessions won per 90 minutes in the middle third in their past five games — down from 20.56 per 90 in the first nine.
Iraola’s philosophy
Iraola has been something of a revelation in the Premier League, truly enforcing his high-octane style since arriving in 2023.
Bournemouth have averaged 9.5 passes per defensive action in the Premier League this season. They’re the most intense-pressing side in the top-flight. The Cherries have also forced 109 high turnovers, converting 17 of those into shots.
The Cherries also average 1.71 direct attacks per 90, with only Arsenal and Chelsea having more this season. But Iraola’s side do have the best success from direct attacks, scoring five goals from these sequences of play — more than any other team in the league.
Iraola’s philosophy is largely centered around winning the ball back quickly. The goal is to stop teams getting into their preferred structure and attacking directly with intent as soon as they regain possession.
What’s gone wrong?
Let’s circle back to possessions won in the middle third. The less Bournemouth are winning the ball in higher areas, the less chance they have of disrupting their opponents. Therefore, fewer opportunities to create chances against a disjointed structure.
Bournemouth’s attempted long balls have dropped from 54.67 per 90 to 44.6 per 90 too. And these metrics are linked.
The Cherries regaining possession is the trigger to release the ball forward quickly. It releases their runners, such as Semenyo, into the space behind the opponent’s defensive line.
Bournemouth have averaged 57.7% possession in their past five games, a big jump from 50.6% in the opening nine. So the Cherries have a different problem to solve, having more of the ball and less space behind to penetrate.
Bournemouth’s shot volume, touches in the final third and chances created have all increased. But their results have suffered due to the change in style, and inability to benefit from their biggest strengths.
| First nine games | Last five games | |
|---|---|---|
| Possessions won in the middle third per 90 | 20.56 | 16.4 |
| Long passes attempted per 90 | 54.67 | 44.6 |
| Shots per 90 | 12.44 | 14.2 |
How can Bournemouth fix their form?
The next evolution and potential fix for Iraola’s side would be improving their first phase of build up. They need to entice the opposition press forward and create artificial transitions which suits their attacking players.
Bournemouth currently take up a shape that resembles a 3-1-6 in settled possession. The Cherries push both of their full-backs as options on the outside of the opposition defensive block, dropping both defensive midfielders slightly deeper in the base.
But by pushing so many bodies higher, the opposition can to drop more bodies deeper. It protects the space and forces Bournemouth to have more of the ball.
Borunemouth can look to create from their counterpress from these positions. But they are again having to rely on their defensive actions to create chances — something which has dropped off in recent weeks.
So, Iraola may have to evolve his on ball tactics in the meantime. Finding ways to break down teams when they have more of the ball, allowing the Cherries to enforce themselves in games in multiple ways.