The data behind Bournemouth's start

New Bournemouth boss Marco Rose is likely to consider a haul of three points from five league games slightly disappointing, with his side having taken the lead in all but one of those matches.

But he has provided the continuity the club would have hoped for following Andoni Iraola's departure. Despite some subtle tactical changes, Rose has not strayed far from Iraola's blueprint of hard running and relentless pressing.

The Cherries lead the league for distance covered at 'high speed' (between 20 and 25km/h), having ranked second under Iraola last season. They are also fourth for distance sprinted (movement faster than 25km/h), a metric they topped in 2025-26.

The similarities extend beyond hard graft. As under Iraola, Rose's side favour vertical attacks over patient build-up play. They sit only 15th for passes per sequence of possession but are among the league's best when it comes to direct attacks, fast breaks and shots after high turnovers.

So while the Cherries are seven points worse off than at this stage last season, the underlying approach has remained largely unchanged.

Having led the club to a historic first European win, at Real Sociedad, Rose has every reason to believe a maiden league victory is not far away.