Bournemouth Analysis: Andoni Iraola eyes Champions League spot

Andoni Iraola’s high-pressing Bournemouth are defying expectations – here’s what the data says about their remarkable start to the season.

Eight games into the Premier League season, Bournemouth sit third in the table. They’ve scored 14 goals – only Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have scored more – and have lost only once: the 4–2 defeat at Anfield on the opening weekend, a game they arguably deserved more from.

All this after a summer in which they sold nearly €200 million worth of talent, including Ilya Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Dango Ouattara. So how have they managed it so far?

Bournemouth Analysis: Out of Possession

Since arriving from Rayo Vallecano in 2023, Andoni Iraola has turned Bournemouth into one of the Premier League’s most aggressive high-pressing teams.

Their style blends those of Bielsa’s Leeds and De Zerbi’s Brighton, with an added touch of Brentford’s directness.

Bournemouth press as if their lives depend on it. They have the lowest passes per defensive action (PPDA) in the league with 9.8, meaning opponents are allowed fewer touches on the ball before being pressed than against any other side.

They also rank third for total pressing sequences (93), second for high turnovers (62) and fifth for shots created directly from high turnovers (11).

They are, in short, a nightmare to play against.

Bournemouth among Premier League’s most intense pressers: The Cherries combine a low passes per defensive action (PPDA) with high turnovers per 90, placing them firmly in the league’s “elite” high-press quadrant. Data source: Opta

Bournemouth Analysis: In Possession

For all their high pressing without the ball, Bournemouth are sort of manufacturing these situations with their on-ball play.

Iraola’s structure is remarkably detailed: off the ball, they often press man-to-man in a 4-4-2, with forwards locking onto defenders and midfielders stepping up to suffocate passing lanes.

On the ball, they’re equally direct – second in the league for long passes attempted (629), just one fewer than Wolves – but that’s by design, not desperation.

The long pass is a trigger, a mechanism to force the ball into a dangerous area where Bournemouth’s athleticism and aggression can take over. Win the first ball, and you’re in behind; lose it, and you swarm the second in a dangerous area high up the pitch. Either way, the territory gained is invaluable.

This style, a kind of modernised “kick and rush”, is a calculated form of pressure. It creates second phases in advanced areas, where players like Alex Scott, Ryan Christie, and Marcus Tavernier can combine or drive at defenders.

Long passes attempted vs completed: Bournemouth rank among the league’s most direct teams, attempting more long passes than almost anyone, while still maintaining solid completion rates. Data source: FBref

Transition Kings

The numbers prove just how deadly Bournemouth are in these moments. Nearly one-third of their goals (4) this season have come from counter-attacks (WhoScored) – the most of any Premier League side. Only Liverpool have launched more direct attacks overall.

Since Iraola took charge, Bournemouth rank second among all 96 teams in Europe’s top five leagues for the number of shots that result directly from defensive actions. That’s a staggering figure and is evidence that their chaos has method.

Table showing top 10 teams among Europe’s top five leagues with the most shots directly from defensive actions since Andoni Iraola took over Bournemouth in 2023. Data source: fbref

Antoine Semenyo Analysis

Much of Bournemouth’s attacking output has come through Antoine Semenyo, who has six goals and three assists already, meaning he’s been involved in 64% of Bournemouth’s goals this season. Only Erling Haaland has contributed to a higher percentage of his team’s total.

Semenyo’s finishing, however, has been running hot. He has scored six non-penalty goals from less than 2.5 expected goals (xG), which is a remarkable overperformance that even elite forwards struggle to sustain.

His shot selection has improved since last season, so a slight improvement in goals scored can be expected, but his conversion rate points to a likely regression.

Of course, none of that detracts from his importance. Semenyo has become the system’s perfect frontman: explosive, unpredictable, and relentlessly direct. Even if his numbers cool, the structure Iraola has built ensures Bournemouth won’t collapse with him.

Semenyo has scored 5 non-penalty goals from 2.94 xG, outperforming expectation by over +2.0. That finishing rate is great – but could regress slightly as the season continues. Data source: Opta

More Than A One-Man Team

It would be a mistake to call this Bournemouth side a one-man team. Thanks to their manager, these results have come from collective intelligence as much as individual form.

New signings Adrian Truffert and Bafode Diakite have slotted in seamlessly in defence, while Djordje Petrovic is one of the league’s top-performing goalkeepers.

Add these to a spine including the likes of Marco Senesi, Tyler Adams, Alex Scott, and Justin Kluivert, and the technical and physical level of the team is really high.

Evanilson will contribute with goals, as will youngsters Ben Doak and Eli Junior Kroupi, who are being embedded in slowly – the latter marking his first start with a brace against Crystal Palace.

Despite losing their entire defensive core of Kepa, Kerkez, Zabarnyi and Huijsen, Bournemouth’s defensive record has remained pretty strong.

They’ve conceded 11 goals from 10.8 xG against, meaning they have conceded almost exactly the number of goals as expected.

Petrovic, in particular, has been quietly excellent, saving more than expected while helping Bournemouth build from deeper areas when needed. It’s that balance between composure and aggression that has made Iraola’s side so difficult to disrupt.

How Bournemouth score their goals – Iraola’s side remain the Premier League’s most dangerous team in transition. Data source: WhoScored

Bournemouth’s Key Advantage

One underappreciated factor in Bournemouth’s success might be schedule. With six English clubs competing in the Champions League this season, all are playing at least eight (likely more) high-intensity matches beyond domestic fixtures. Even Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace are occupied with European commitments.

Bournemouth, on the other hand, have time – time to rest, time to prepare, and time for Iraola to refine the tactical details that have made them such an intelligent side.

As he adjusts press triggers, shapes rotations and builds automatisms in possession, Bournemouth’s extra training ground work could become a decisive edge.

Can Bournemouth Finish in the Champions League Places?

Bournemouth aren’t going to win the Premier League. But could they emulate Leicester’s 2015/16 run, or at least challenge for a European place? The data says yes – or at least, that it’s plausible.

Their xG difference hints that their results are largely performance-backed rather than luck-driven. Their defensive solidity, pressing metrics, and threat in transition make them arguably the best of the non-European clubs.

And in Iraola, they have a manager whose stock is rising fast. Already linked with Tottenham and Manchester United previously, his influence has transformed Bournemouth into one of the Premier League’s most cohesive tactical units.

As with our Sunderland analysis, what stands out most is how well-run Bournemouth have become. They’ve sold big, reinvested smartly, and built a highly effective system suited to its talent.

If the key players stay healthy, and if Iraola stays put (there will be plenty of noise), there’s no reason Bournemouth can’t sustain a run deep into the European places, potentially even – whisper it quietly – the Champions League spots.