Analysis: Bournemouth inch closer to Europe
Sunday's Premier League meeting between Bournemouth and Crystal Palace pitted two managers who will leave this summer against each other.
[Getty Images] Sunday's Premier League meeting between Bournemouth and Crystal Palace pitted two managers who will leave their clubs this summer against each other. And it was Andoni Iraola who emerged as the clear winner against Palace and their manager Oliver Glasner - extending the Cherries' unbeaten run in the top flight to a club record 15 matches. The comfortable 3-0 home win , watched on by incoming boss Marco Rose from the stands, helped Bournemouth leapfrog Brighton and Brentford to sixth place in the league standings.
A sixth-placed finish would secure a place in next season's Champions League if Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League. Only one team in Premier League history have managed a 15-game unbeaten run and finished outside the top six - Chelsea, who were 10th in 2015-16. European qualification would be a perfect parting gift for Iraola, who joined the club in 2023 and will leave this summer when his contract expires.
But Bournemouth must extend their remarkable run against fellow European contenders Fulham, title-chasing Manchester City and Nottingham Forest in their final three games to do so.