Bournemouth in 'extremely exciting position' as Europe beckons
[BBC] [PA Media] Despite having not played at the weekend, Bournemouth fans strapped themselves in for a rollercoaster of emotions, as both the FA Cup final and a plethora of Premier League fixtures were of great importance for the Cherries and their European aspirations. It all started on the Saturday, when ex-Bournemouth man Antoine Semenyo fittingly bagged the winner for Manchester City in the FA Cup final. That itself handed the Cherries a significant boost in their pursuit of European football, as the victory over Chelsea ensured that the top eight in the Premier League will have European football next season.
So this was the first checkbox of the weekend ticked for Bournemouth fans, before their attention then deviated to Sunday's league fixtures. Following plenty of twists and turns, it was again another former Cherry who made a significant impact. This time, however, Dango Ouattara was villain rather than hero, scoring a late leveller for Brentford against Crystal Palace, ensuring Bournemouth could not quite secure their place in Europe - but it certainly got a little bit closer.
A Palace win would have made Bournemouth's first-ever European qualification official. Leeds' surprise victory over Brighton and Sunderland's win away at Everton further strengthened Bournemouth's position in the race for Europe, ensuring the afternoon turned into a very positive one for the Cherries. So Andoni Iraola's men remain in a remarkably strong position heading into their final couple of fixtures.
Whether it be the Conference League, Europa League or the Champions League, the Cherries are in an extremely exciting position and the fans may be eagerly getting their passports ready very, very soon. Find more from Tom Jordan at Back of the Net