3 reasons the AFC Bournemouth revival is set to continue

Cherries up to ninth after Stoke triumph

Some were predicting relegation for AFC Bournemouth following a miserable start to the season, which saw the Cherries pick up just four points from their first eight Premier League games.

But that all seems a distant memory now. Saturday’s 2-1 defeat of Stoke City lifted the South Coast club up to ninth in the league, and extended their unbeaten Prem run to seven games.

And a closer look at the factors behind Bournemouth’s form suggests they can continue to flourish in the coming months…

They know how to handle the top sides

The Cherries’ last away game saw Eddie Howe’s men pull off a stunning 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge. That marked the joint heaviest home-defeat Chelsea had suffered in the Premier League era.

The visitors played a low-possession, counter-attacking game, and hit the Blues on the counter-attack to devastating effect. The rapid Callum Wilson and tricky Junior Stanislas both fit that game plan perfectly.

It’s a system that also worked superbly in the 2-1 defeat of Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium earlier this month. Well-organised, fearless and clinical up front, they were also unlucky not to take something from narrow defeats to Manchester City and Manchester United earlier in the season.

With three of their next nine games coming against sides in the top five, the Cherries will go into those matches brimming with confidence, and boasting plenty of know-how.

Goals and creativity across the park

Bournemouth have had 12 different Premier League goalscorers so far this term. To put that in context, it’s three more than eighth-placed Leicester and two more than Burnley in seventh. Even Manchester United are only one ahead of the Cherries.