Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 16.
Team analysis: AFC Bournemouth
You never get an easy ride against Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth, who are fast becoming the most awkward Premier League side to face.
Everything they do under their astute Basque head coach is fast, energetic and hostile.
Bournemouth adopt high-tempo, high-risk tactics with equal enthusiasm against teams at the top or bottom of the table, so their opponents get very little respite.
The Cherries have beaten Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at the Vitality Stadium this season, and they will continue their push for a top-eight finish when they host West Ham United on Monday night.
With home games still to come against seven of the bottom eight clubs, including West Ham, this increasingly confident Bournemouth side will feel they can at least maintain their current average of 1.6 points per match.
That equates to 61 points after 38 games, and has been good enough to finish inside the top seven in each of the previous three campaigns.
They are firmly on course to push hard for their highest ever finishing position, after coming ninth in 2016/17.
What is Bournemouth’s biggest strength?
Iraola has instilled a very clear tactical identity, which is based around incredible effort levels both in and out of possession.
The Cherries' head coach has used a 4-2-3-1 formation in every match so far this season, so you know the shape they will adopt.
Yet when they are hunting for turnovers - their biggest strength as a team - you will often see central midfielders up front, or central defenders pushed on high inside the opposition half.
This brilliant press from midfielder Tyler Adams on Dejan Kulusevski against Tottenham below almost led to a goal, and is a good example of what they do.
Bournemouth hound their opponents with ferocious intent and are the best around at forcing mistakes from their opposite numbers.
As you can see below, Iraola’s side are the most successful ball-winners in the league in EVERY part of the pitch.
Many teams choose to either press high or from a lower mid-pitch base, but Bournemouth are prepared to close players down from front to back.
Most possessions won in each third of the pitch 24/25
| Defensive | Middle | Final |
| Bournemouth 342 | Bournemouth 332 | Bournemouth 99 |
| Crystal Palace 336 | Newcastle 306 | Spurs 99 |
| Wolves 325 | West Ham 297 | Arsenal 79 |
Hard-working midfield
Scotland international Ryan Christie is the Cherries' most effective player at regaining possession.
He boasts the joint-highest number of ball recoveries in the Premier League alongside Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot, with 87 each.
Monday night’s match against West Ham is set to be a battle royale in central midfield, as Julen Lopetegui’s side are also excellent at winning the ball in that domain.
But Bournemouth do not just rely on Christie’s efforts. His midfield partner Lewis Cook is also brilliant at turning over possession in the middle third, ranking fifth in that department.
Strength down the spine
To give you a clearer idea of how Bournemouth and West Ham compare when it comes to trying to win the ball, these event-zone maps are worth looking at.
It shows that down the central spine, Iraola’s men are superb at disrupting play.
They crowd space expertly, so West Ham will need to move the ball quickly to avoid losing it cheaply in bad areas.
Where Bournemouth (left) and West Ham (right) have won possession 24/25
Fast and physical
No team run further than Bournemouth, who average 112.2km per match, so West Ham will be forced to push themselves physically in this clash.
Unsurprisingly, Bournemouth's pressing game forces plenty of high turnovers, but they are also excellent at producing quick, direct attacks where they scuttle upfield at pace.
Frustratingly for Iraola, his side are yet to score a single goal from a fast break, but it is only a matter of time before that statistic changes.
Bournemouth running and turnover stats
| PL 2024/25 | Bournemouth | PL rank |
| Total distance covered (km) | 1,683.4 km | 1st |
|---|---|---|
| Shot-ending high turnovers | 32 | 1st |
| Sprints | 2,554 | 2nd |
| Passes per defensive action | 10.6 | 3rd |
| High turnovers | 135 | 3rd |
| Direct attacks | 33 | =3rd |
In forward areas Evanilson pressurises defenders with enthusiasm, and behind him the likes of Marcus Tavernier and Justin Kluivert are also willing runners.
Tavernier, the winger who will miss Monday’s match through injury, ranks fourth in the Premier League for the most pressures applied this season, with 473.
Who’s impressing most for Bournemouth?
Left-back Milos Kerkez is enjoying a terrific campaign.
The Hungary international was outstanding when supplying two assists in their home win over Manchester City, and he also broke forward to score against Wolves.
Just 21 years old, Kerkez is brimming with energy and, from his many overlaps, he likes to reach the byline before crossing for a team-mate.
This cutback below forced a brilliant save from Spurs' Fraser Forster.
Milos Kerkez creative statistics
| Premier League 2024/25 | Total | PL defenders rank |
| Open-play chances created | 15 | 7th |
|---|---|---|
| Open-play crosses | 37 | 6th |
| Successful open-play crosses | 10 | 6th |
Central defender Illia Zabarnyi is also thriving under Iraola’s management.
The 22-year-old Ukraine international is an incredibly proactive centre-back who loves to get tight enough to make forceful challenges on forwards.
This robust tackle on former team-mate Dominic Solanke(below, from a straight pass into the striker, was typical of his style.
He won the ball cleanly and set up an attack that ended with a goal being disallowed for offside.
In the absence of his injured centre-back partner Marcos Senesi, Zabarnyi is very much the main ball-winner at the back.
Whoever Lopetegui chooses as his striker - Danny Ings, Jarrod Bowen or Nicklas Fullkrug - must prepare for a physical battle.
Top centre-backs for winning possession PL 24/25
| Defensive Third | Middle Third | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Illia Zabarnyi | 44 | Max Kilman | 38 |
| Calvin Bassey | 40 | Illia Zabarnyi | 33 |
| Marcos Senesi | 39 | Cristian Romero | 28 |
| Nathan Collins | 39 | William Saliba | 25 |
Spreading the goals around
Last season Solanke’s 19 Premier League goals made him Bournemouth’s chief attacking threat, with Antoine Semenyo the next closest on eight.
This campaign, 12 different players have already registered a top-flight goal for them, just one shy of the 13 who found the back of the net across the whole of last season.
Attacking midfielders Kluivert and Semenyo have chipped in with five and four goals respectively, while new centre-forward Evanilson also has four.
The former FC Porto star and club-record signing is full of running and suits the Cherries’ aggressive style.
For example, he has twice instigated goals by intercepting back-passes.
In the 4-2 win at Wolves, he won a hat-trick of penalties, and when scoring against Brentford he successfully converted from a poor back-pass, as shown below.
Evanilson likes to make runs down the centre of the pitch, so now that his team-mates are beginning to understand his preferred movement, the 25-year-old is shining on a more consistent basis.
Everywhere you look around Bournemouth's starting XI you will find players who have raised their levels this season.
Iraola’s tactical approach and coaching are certainly having a very positive impact, and with some "bigger’" clubs floundering, the door could be ajar for a surprise tilt at European qualification.
