Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola expects a difficult game away to Brentford on Saturday, despite having taken seven points from their last three matches against top-four finishers.
The Cherries inflicted Manchester City's first league defeat of the season last weekend, while they had done the same to Arsenal two weeks before and earned a point at Villa Park between those matches.
"I'm not going to lie, we didn't expect seven points. Definitely, we didn't expect these points," he told the Bournemouth Echo.
“But it's true that it’s not the end of anything. We have to recover tomorrow and next week we go Brentford away.
“The way they are playing at home, it's going to be a very, very difficult game again and we have to continue to try to give us chances because it's going to be very difficult. This is the Premier League,”
Antoine Semenyo opened the scoring against City last week and is Bournemouth's top scorer with four goals. Iraola will be looking for another performance from him at the Gtech Community Stadium.
“He has been playing very well all the season," said Iraola.
“I think we demand him a lot because I think he can give a lot, and today probably he scores and everyone gives him more recognition.”
“I think Antoine is going to be always dangerous for every centre back, every full back that he attacks."
But ahead of their trip to Brentford, there was no chance of Iraola getting carried away with his side's recent form.
“To win one game in the Premier League against any team is very difficult," he said.
“You have to do a lot of things well. So, we have to continue because we need more points and we want to continue building and take advantage because we've got these points now against these teams.
“So, let's try to take this advantage and not lose it straight away.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brentford – Bryan Mbeumo
Mbeumo has scored in all five of his Premier League appearances at home this season, with seven of his eight league goals coming at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The Cameroonian is equal-second in the Premier League top scorer standings on eight, level with Chris Wood and three behind Erling Haaland.
Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo
Semenyo scored his fourth goal of the season last weekend, opening the scoring in Bournemouth's 2-1 victory at home to Manchester City.
The Ghanaian is his club's top scorer and has had the second-most shots (42) of any player in the Premier League this season.
MATCH PREDICTION: BRENTFORD WIN
Brentford come into this match having won four of their five Premier League home games this season, drawing the other. No side has picked up more home points in the competition this season so far than the Bees (13, level with Man City), while no side has scored more home goals than Thomas Frank’s side (15, level with Tottenham).
That isn't great news for Bournemouth, who have kept just one clean sheet in the Premier League this season. They are also yet to keep a clean sheet in any of their six games on the road in all competitions so far, while Bournemouth's only away win this season was a 3-2 victory over 16th-placed Everton in August
Brentford are also unbeaten in their last seven matches against Bournemouth (W5 D2), which is a run that stretches back to August 2014. In fact, Bournemouth haven't won a league game away to Brentford since October 2005 (D5 L4), in which they beat them 2-0 when both teams were in League One.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Brentford – 44.1%
Draw – 26.8%
Bournemouth – 29%
Merseyside Derby postponed due to Storm Darragh
The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool has been postponed "due to the risk to safety in the local area" during Storm Darragh.
The Toffees were set to welcome the Premier League leaders to Goodison Park on Saturday for the final time in the English top flight.
However, after a meeting between both clubs and representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council, Everton confirmed the scheduled showdown will now be played at a later date due to safety concerns.
"Whilst we appreciate this will be deeply disappointing for supporters, the safety of fans, staff and players is of paramount importance," a club statement read.
Two Championship fixtures - Cardiff City v Watford, and Plymouth Argyle v Oxford United - have also been postponed this weekend, along with Bristol Rovers' League One clash with Bolton Wanderers.
Iraola failing to trust Bournemouth’s recent ‘momentum’ and ‘confidence’
Andoni Iraola said he does not believe in “momentum” and “confidence” in the Premier League despite Bournemouth moving into the top half of the table after their win over Tottenham.
The Cherries earned an impressive victory over Spurs on Thursday, with Dean Huijsen’s first-half header the difference on the south coast to pile more misery on Ange Postecoglou.
Bournemouth have now won successive Premier League games for the first time since April, but are on the road this weekend as they take on winless Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Sunday.
Iraola’s side find themselves just a point adrift of the European places after 14 games of their campaign, but the Bournemouth boss was quick to temper expectations at this early stage.
"I don't trust too much in this momentum and confidence thing. The league is so tight. The levels are so small, from a win to a loss, so we have to reset,” Iraola said.
“We have a difficult game away at Ipswich with just two days of recovery. We cannot continue thinking of the standings or of the points, just competing every game. For me, the end of the season is too far away. We cannot look much further.
"We will have to show it [that they are better than last season]. If we finish with better than 48 points, then we will be. If not, then maybe not. We really don't know. We are having great nights this season, especially at home against difficult opposition, and we are getting the points.”
Ipswich, meanwhile, remain in search of that illusive first victory after falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Tuesday.
The Tractor Boys also face a difficult task this weekend against a side they have not beaten in their last six league meetings, though five of those matches have been drawn (L1).
Kieran McKenna confirmed he would be without Ben Johnson and Kalvin Phillips for the encounter, eluding that changes to his side could be made for the visit of the Cherries.
"We made some changes on Tuesday night that were necessary. It's not going to be the same XI every game,” McKenna said.
“On Tuesday you could see the challenge for a couple of our younger players having to play Saturday-Tuesday in the Premier League for the first time.
"We'd like to have one or two more available to rotate, but in general we've still got a pretty healthy squad."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ipswich – Liam Delap
No one has been involved in more goals for Ipswich than Delap (seven) in the Premier League this season, though he has failed to register a goal involvement in his last three games.
Bournemouth – Justin Kluivert
While not being able to add to his record-breaking hat-trick against Wolves in midweek against Tottenham, Kluivert will be keen to continue his goal-scoring form away from home.
He has scored four goals in his last two Premier League games on the road, which is double the amount that he’d netted in his first 21 away from the Vitality Stadium in the competition (two).
MATCH PREDICTION: BOURNEMOUTH WIN
This will be the first ever top-flight meeting between Ipswich and Bournemouth, making it the 1,453rd fixture to be played in England’s top division.
While Bournemouth are favoured by Opta’s data-led simulations, they have won just one of their last 11 away league games against Ipswich (D3 L7), a 2-1 win under Harry Redknapp in March 1988. Their last three league visits to Portman Road have all been draws.
The Cherries have also lost two of their last three Premier League meetings with promoted sides (W1), as many as they had in their previous 15 such matches (W8 D5).
Ipswich, meanwhile, remain without a win in any of their seven Premier League home games this season (D4 L3). In their league history, only in 2018-19 have they had a longer run without a home win from the start of a campaign (10).
The Tractor Boys have kept just one clean sheet in their 14 top-flight games this season. However, having conceded 20 goals in their first nine this term (2.2 per game), they’ve now conceded just five in their last five.
And Ipswich’s frustration has seemingly shown. They have conceded 180 fouls in their 14 Premier League games so far this season. Their rate of 12.9 fouls per game is currently the highest by a promoted side in a single campaign since Wolves in 2009-10 (13.8).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Ipswich – 28.6%
Draw – 24.4%
Bournemouth – 46.9%
Maresca warns Chelsea against complacency ahead of Tottenham clash
Enzo Maresca has warned high-flying Chelsea that "things can change quickly in football" ahead of their London derby against Tottenham in the Premier League.
Maresca's side are second in the standings with 28 points from 14 matches and are unbeaten in their last six, trailing leaders Liverpool by seven points.
Arsenal also have 28 points, but sit third on goal difference, while champions Manchester City are two points behind the Blues in fourth place.
But Chelsea's Italian head coach once again refused to count his side as one of the contenders for the Premier League title this season.
"I don't think we are there and ready to compete with Arsenal, Liverpool and City. We have to do many more things well, not just score goals," Maresca said.
"Defensively, we are doing well, but we are just focused on Sunday and then the next one.
"We are not thinking about April, May or June. It's too early. Things can change quickly in football. The focus is Sunday."
The Blues have scored 31 goals this season - the most by a team in the league this season, with Cole Palmer their top scorer with nine goals, followed by Nicolas Jackson, who has struck eight times.
They head into the derby on the back of a 5-1 win against Southampton on Wednesday, which was the second time they scored five goals or more in away games this season.
The last time they did the same, they emerged champions under Jose Mourinho during the 2014-15 season.
Meanwhile, their next opponents, Tottenham, were beaten 1-0 by Bournemouth last time out and dropped to 10th place, but Maresca labelled Spurs "a fantastic team."
"Spurs have very good players and a very good manager. What kind of problems they have, I don't know. But they are a fantastic team," he said.
"You see the results, two weeks ago they beat City, so they are a very good team."
The 44-year-old also hailed Noni Madueke, who scored his fifth goal of the season against the Saints and has been involved in three goals in two matches, but reiterated that the winger still has scope to improve.
"Overall he's working well since we started. Sometimes he drops a little bit. He's not allowed to drop. In terms of numbers, he's doing fantastic with goals and assists," Maresca said.
"Off the ball, when we ask him to defend and press, he's doing very well. The only reason I said this the other day is that I want the best from Noni and to get the best you have to push him. If he relaxes a little bit, it's wrong."
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