How Bournemouth built up the longest unbeaten run in Europe’s top five leagues

AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsAnalysisHow Bournemouth built up the longest unbeaten run in Europe’s top five leaguesAndoni Iraola applauds the fans while his Bournemouth players celebrate victory at Fulham Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images Share articleIn January, things were looking pretty grim at Bournemouth. They languished 15th in the table, had just sold star forward Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City for £62.5million ($85.2m), and the contract of their beloved manager Andoni Iraola was set to expire in the summer. How would they react amid this darkening cloud of uncertainty? By embarking on a 16-game unbeaten run in the league, obviously. In beating Fulham 1-0 away on Saturday, Bournemouth maintained the longest undefeated streak across Europe’s top five leagues, moving up to sixth and within touching distance of an historic first qualification for European football. It was Semenyo who sparked Bournemouth’s resurgence, scoring a stoppage-time winner in a 3-2 home victory against Tottenham Hotspur in what proved to be his final game for the club. His parting gift arrested an 11-game winless run and kick-started the unbeaten spell. Fifteen matches later, it has now been bookended by his replacement, Rayan, whose goal sealed victory at Craven Cottage. That it was Rayan felt fitting. The Brazil winger embodies the cycle of renewal to which Bournemouth have skilfully adapted in recent seasons. Under Iraola, they have developed a reputation as a finishing school for elite talent, attracting and developing players before bigger clubs inevitably swoop in to prise them away. Last summer, three-quarters of Bournemouth’s back four were plucked by Europe’s elite as Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi secured big-money moves to Real Madrid, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain respectively. Winger Dango Ouattara was signed for £42.5million by Brentford. Iraola told journalists at the time that this level of season-on-season churn “is something you have to accept”, but such a lack of continuity is inherently disruptive — particularly in a system as finely-tuned as Bournemouth’s, relying on calibrated, coordinated pressing. The scale of that upheaval is laid bare in the graphic below, which measures how the share of playing minutes for each side has shifted since last season. A figure of zero would mean every player recorded the exact same proportion of minutes as the previous campaign; 100 per cent would indicate a completely rebuilt team. Bournemouth’s figure stands at 63.6 per cent, with only promoted Sunderland — who reconstructed their squad after promotion from the Championship — ranking higher. “We are in a process that will take time,” Iraola said before a chastening 4-1 away defeat at Brentford in December, which was the nadir of their difficult mid-season slump. “We have changed a lot. We have sold and bought a lot of players (and) they are all adapting at different rates, so the process is still ongoing.” The timescale of the process has accelerated, with the rolling expected goals-for-and-against graphic below — which measures the quality of chances created and conceded — showing that Bournemouth have routinely outcreated their opponents since shortly before the start of the unbeaten run. The transformation has been stark. Before the unbeaten run, Bournemouth were conceding 1.9 goals per game, the third-worst record in the league. Since then, only two sides have a better defensive record than their 0.88 conceded per game. While conceding fewer goals, their underlying defensive numbers have not changed that much. Earlier this season, Iraola lamented Bournemouth’s inefficiency, but they have since become much more effective at preventing chances turning into goals. At the other end, both goals and expected goals are up, pointing to a more cohesive, potent attack. Part of the improvement comes from the new signings adapting to Iraola’s system, but each has also enhanced it in their own way. Centre-back Marcos Senesi ranks fourth in the league for line-breaking passes, and his ability to regain possession and drive Bournemouth upfield ignites their front-footed approach. Adrien Truffert, Kerkez’s replacement at left-back, has completed a league-high 2.28 overlapping runs per game, embodying Bournemouth’s commitment to flooding attacks, while Rayan’s powerful ball carries — averaging 8.3 metres, the third-highest figure in the league — give them an extra edge in the one-vs-one duels that are critical to their success. With these reinforcements hitting their stride, Iraola has now landed on a settled team. The graphic below shows that he has not made more than two changes between league matches since the start of the unbeaten run. In the first half of the season, Bournemouth made three or more changes on 10 separate occasions. There is a degree of luck baked into this run. Iraola said in his pre-match press conference before the trip to Craven Cottage that this has “probably been the best season in terms of injuries”, and his demanding style can suffer when the squad is more stretched. Along with their strong fitness record, there have been games where Bournemouth have been second-best and still salvaged a result. They conceded 3.27 expected goals in February’s away game against West Ham United, yet still emerged with a 0-0 draw. On the whole, though, Bournemouth have been good value for this purple patch, and Iraola is desperate for it to end “with some reward” in the form of European qualification. It would be a fitting conclusion to one of the most exhilarating and transformative coaching tenures in recent memory. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms