Analysis: International break has come at a good timepublished at 16:48 BST 20 September
16:48 BST 20 September
Neil Johnston BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
This was the first time Bournemouth have had to balance playing in Europe on a Thursday before a Premier League game on a Sunday.
They secured a memorable victory in the Basque Country over Real Sociedad in midweek but are still without a top-flight win under Marco Rose, who took charge after Andoni Iraola left for Anfield.
The international break has come at a good time for the Cherries.
It was revealed before kick-off that Dutch winger Justin Kluivert would be out for several weeks with a damaged hamstring he suffered against Real Sociedad.
Against Liverpool, they missed his attacking flair and managed just two attempts on target.
These are exciting times for Bournemouth, who host seven-time champions of Europe AC Milan in the Europa League on 22 October.
But they will need to get to grips with juggling the demands of playing in both the Premier League and Europe quickly if they are to stay away from the lower reaches of the table.
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Sutton's predictions: Bournemouth v Liverpoolpublished at 10:59 BST 20 September
10:59 BST 20 September
I am not convinced by Liverpool at all after covering them for BBC Radio 5 Live last weekend - I thought Fulham were the better side in their 0-0 draw at Anfield.
Andoni Iraola's side did not flow in the final third, certainly not in the way his Bournemouth team did last season.
I don't think the Reds players are quite in sync with what Iraola is asking them to do in terms of their press either, and Fulham played through them with ease at times.
Marco Rose is an attacking manager so if Liverpool don't buck their ideas up then Bournemouth are going to do the same, and Iraola could end up losing on his return to his former club.
The one thing in Iraola's favour is that Bournemouth seem to be finding a way to draw games they should win, so that is the result I am going with, even though though I quite fancy the Cherries to take all three points.
Bournemouth v Liverpool: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:36 BST 19 September
13:36 BST 19 September
Tom McCoy BBC Sport journalist
BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Sunday's match (14:00 BST), with Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola returning to former club Bournemouth.
Rose still waiting for first win
Bournemouth's 2-2 draw with Brentford followed a frustratingly familiar pattern for head coach Marco Rose, who remains without a Premier League win.
His side came from behind to lead 2-1, but an error by goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic gifted the Londoners an equaliser as the Cherries made unwanted history. They are the first team to have led in each of their opening four matches of a Premier League season without winning any of them.
Bournemouth have also drawn half of their top-flight games since the start of last season (21 of 42) and have dropped a league-high 31 points from winning positions during that period.
Nevertheless, Rose focused on the positives afterwards, highlighting that his side had 10 shots on target to Brentford's two.
Their performances suggest a first victory won't be far away, but the Cherries have failed to win any of their opening five top-flight matches twice before, doing so under Eddie Howe in 2017-18 and during Iraola's first season in charge in 2023-24.
Iraola back in Bournemouth
Iraola became something of a draw specialist during his final season at Bournemouth, and that trait has continued at Liverpool, with the Reds sharing the points in three of their opening four league matches, including both home games.
However, few recent managers have started their Anfield reigns in truly convincing fashion. Although predecessor Arne Slot had three more points at the same stage, Iraola is the first Liverpool boss this century to remain unbeaten in his opening four Premier League matches.
He can also take some confidence from back-to-back top-flight clean sheets, given Liverpool had managed only one shutout in their previous 13 matches.
Iraola guided Bournemouth to a 3-2 victory when the sides met at Vitality Stadium in January, but Liverpool have generally dominated this fixture.
The Reds have won 14 of 18 Premier League meetings with the Cherries, scoring 54 goals. Their average of three goals per game is their highest against any opponent they have faced at least 10 times in the competition.
'Were you there that night at Sociedad?' Words to last for generationspublished at 14:17 BST 18 September
14:17 BST 18 September
Mark Mitchener BBC Sport senior journalist in San Sebastian
Image source, Getty Images
Football clubs are often urged not to forget their history. On Thursday night's evidence, there is little prospect of that happening at Bournemouth.
As Adam Smith led the Cherries out of the tunnel alongside opponents Real Sociedad, the away fans were singing about the "Minus 17" season of 2008-09, which they see as the first step of the thrilling journey they have been on.
Uefa's Europa League anthem was even drowned out as "we're AFC Bournemouth, we came from League Two", rang around the Estadio Municipal de Anoeta.
Like a lover's first kiss or a baby's first step, there can only ever be one first time, and the 1,900 Cherries fans who made the trip were determined to make their European debut one to remember.
As supporters walked around the town with broad smiles on their faces, or gathered for a pre-match drink or two, everyone had a story. How did you get here? Where are you staying? When did you get tickets?
It was a saga of Planes, Trains And Automobiles to rival the Steve Martin film for some, with travellers sharing tales of overbooked flights, cancelled trains, rail replacement buses, and even emergency rental cars procured in Bordeaux to make the final leg of the journey.
All no doubt common for elite clubs who qualify for Europe every year without breaking sweat, but still a novelty for the fans from Dorset, whose previous ideas of long away trips involved heading up the M6 or M1 every few weeks, while keeping Warwick Services in profit for most of the season.
Indeed, for many years, the nearest Bournemouth had come to playing in Europe was a pre-season mini-tournament which involved playing Bristol Rovers on the Isle of Wight. Which, to be fair, did involve crossing a stretch of open sea by ferry.
And they were welcomed warmly in the Basque Country. When the fans in red and black headed to the game, Sociedad fans outside the stadium were shaking hands, offering to swap scarves, asking for group photos and seeking advice on how to get Premier League tickets.
A sparkling first 20 minutes showed there were no first-night nerves from Marco Rose's troops, and the fans were singing long into the night after being held back after the full-time whistle, in an atmosphere akin to a pub lock-in without any actual alcohol on tap.
"So, are you going to Prague?" was a phrase on many supporters' lips as they drifted away into the night to their hotels. But "were you there that night at Sociedad?" is surely one which will last for generations to come.
Rose on squad fitness, managing Europe and Iraola's returnpublished at 13:01 BST 18 September
13:01 BST 18 September
Nat Hayward BBC Sport journalist
Bournemouth boss Marco Rose has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool at Vitality Stadium (14:00 BST).
He was also speaking before Thursday's Europa League win in Spain against Real Sociedad.
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Rose gave a fitness update on his squad: "Nothing new. Everyone is in a good spot. Everyone is well recovered for the travel to Spain. Then we are going to start to prepare for Liverpool. Everyone will give their all on Thursday and then we start to rotate and select players."
On the challenge of playing on Thursday and Sunday: "At the beginning, you can handle the load and everything around, but if you do it every week for several months then it gets really demanding. It's up to me and the coaching staff to make good decisions in terms of who to play and how long to play them. In the end, we have to feel it and the lads have to be ready."
Rose was asked about his winless start in the Premier League, despite good performances and three draws: "It's just about getting more consequences in both boxes in a couple of situations. The way we play with attitude and confidence - all these kind of things are [going] in a good direction. I have learned to be patient. Of course, we are in a situation where we should have forced wins, but you cannot force this by being impatient or being nervous."
On former Cherries boss Andoni Iraola returning with the Reds: "He left the club in top shape and that's what I knew. That's what I got when I came here - a top team with top staff. Everyone is professional and keen to work hard to be successful. We started with good performances, showed how we want to play, and a lot of things we maintained. Now it's about getting our own things into the team. He will get a warm welcome for sure, but Bournemouth want to win the game."
On how the players are responding to the change in management: "I'm really pleased - the lads have adapted really fast. The approach stays the same. In the details, some things are different in and out of possession, but I'm really impressed with how the players have adapted to things."
Kirsi: When Bill Foley bought the club in 2022 when we were in the relegation zone and promised European football, I honestly had a laugh. But now we have won our first game in Europe, I am just on cloud nine. The performance the lads produced was a perfect representation of our club's recent history, defying expectations and never giving up - even at rock bottom. What a performance. Should be the first win of many!
Ian: Are we still dreaming? 18 years ago on the brink, now winning in Europe! Up the Cherries.
Malcolm: Wow! You lads have made us all so very proud. An excellent first-half performance and then had to dig deep in the last 30 minutes. Petrovic in goal was outstanding but there were many top performers out on the pitch. Not a bad way to start your first European game. What a historic night.
For the vast majority of fans celebrating a famous victory on Thursday, the whole thing still seems surreal.
Just 18 years ago, the club was on the brink. A 10-point deduction for entering administration resulted in their relegation to League Two.
To even stay in the Football League for the 2008-09 season, they had to accept a 17-point deduction and agree not to appeal against the decision after it was ruled that, as they had been unable to agree a Company Voluntary Arrangement, they had not met their terms for exiting administration.
Thoughts of a £100m-rated midfielder picking out a Brazil winger to head Bournemouth to victory in Europe was the stuff of fantasy as the Dorset club battled for survival.
But that now is Bournemouth's reality with Alex Scott swaggering around San Sebastian, showing why there is such a clammer for his signature among top Premier League clubs, and Rayan providing another example of why the Cherries will demand every penny of a reported £130m release clause to let him go.
Bournemouth have nothing to compare it to, but this was a proper European away performance.
And listen to BBC Radio Solent's Cherries Unpicked podcast by hitting play below or on BBC Sounds here, as Jordan Clark and ex-Bournemouth defender Charlie Daniels break down Thursday's historic win
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Alex Scott (Bournemouth).
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).
'We want to push and do something special' - Scottpublished at 10:00 BST 18 September
10:00 BST 18 September
Image source, Getty Images
Cherries midfielder Alex Scott speaks to BBC Radio Solent's Jordan Clark after Bournemouth's first European win.
"It was tough out there. First half, I think we were brilliant. We really took the game to them," Scott said.
"Started quick, as we always do, and then the second half was a lot tougher. The fans got behind them, it was loud and they really pressed us.
"I think we did well in the end, secured the win, and yeah, I'm sure the fans are really happy.
"It's enjoyable. It's still like that in the Premier League when I get to play that every week. You still get that buzz and that feeling.
"A new competition for me and for the club and a lot of the lads in there. We're grateful to be here. We really want to push and do something special in this competition.
"Yesterday, I said to Rayan, 'if I get the ball in that area and look up, just run back post and I'll find you, like Everton last season'. It was so weird how I said that to him yesterday and it literally happened as I said it. It was one of those things where, yeah, a good ball and a good header.
"I know he's making that run all the time and he's unbelievable in the air. So a great goal from us and it was good to get a 2-0 lead."
Gossip: Arsenal keen on Kroupipublished at 08:11 BST 18 September
08:11 BST 18 September
Arsenal are extremely keen on a move for Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi, 20, but the Cherries would expect a huge fee. (Football London, external)
Liverpool will have to pay the full £130m release clause to buy Rayan from the Cherries despite manager Andoni Iraola's relationship with the midfielder from his time at Bournemouth. (ESPN Brazil via Caught Offside, external)
'What a night and what a performance' - Daniels published at 22:51 BST 17 September
22:51 BST 17 September
Image source, Getty Images
Former Bournemouth defender Charlie Daniels speaking on BBC Radio Solent after Bournemouth's 2-1 win over Real Sociedad: "What a night. What a performance. Had to dig in second half, the goalkeeper had to be called upon.
"But from Adam Smith walking the team out to David Brooks coming on in the 84th minute, every player has done their bit. They have worked their socks off and have performed on a European stage and gave Bournemouth their first win.
"I think Bournemouth deserved it. Especially from their first half showing. I would say up to 60 minutes, I thought they were outstanding. Like any team, Sociedad got the crowd behind them [towards the end] and that goal gave them massive momentum, but to see Bournemouth stick together, to fight for their lives and see it out, is such a special moment.
"It was very nerve wracking [being in the studio], let me tell you it's a lot easier playing than it is watching. Like I say, it was just those little bits when Sociedad was getting momentum, getting into Bournemouth's half, creating chances, getting corners and putting on the pressure, but to see everyone stand up, take ownership, put their bodies on the line and see it through was really good.
"It just shows the calibre of the players that Bournemouth have. Four internationals players that have been there, done it, and seen it. So they do not get fazed by these occasions and it showed on the pitch.
"Also the manager as well, has managed in the Europa League before so I think they were probably more comfortable with the situation than the fans and everyone else.
"It is a big occasion. A big moment for the club, and they should be applauded for it. They showed their brilliance in the first half, and they showed they can dig in during the second.
"I think Alex Scott, especially in the first half really ran the show. I thought Taviner and Kluivert were really good first half as well. Rayan too.
"But when push came to shove the goalkeeper Petrovic and Hill really stood up. I think this was the first time I have really seen Hill play. I thought he was really instrumental alongside Petrovic."
Real Sociedad 1-2 Bournemouth: What Rose and Smith saidpublished at 22:42 BST 17 September
22:42 BST 17 September
Media caption,
Bournemouth boss Marco Rose, speaking to TNT Sports: "It was very intense and tough. Brilliant first half in everything. The way we won balls and the possession high up. In the second half, we needed to suffer because we were not so sharp. We need to talk about the second half.
On the intensity: "That's Bournemouth football. We want to be active and defend forward. We want to create chances. We had a header to be 3-0 up. The game is 90 minutes and the first half was really brilliant.
On losing intensity: "It's not about the games because we didn't play so much so far, we just started. It's about the mindset. We lack a bit of intensity and if you lose this kind of thing in our style, then we know. If you get tired, then we need to change with substitutes.
"It's a brilliant win in our first European game. It's brilliant for the club and the 2000 fans from Bournemouth."
And listen to post-match reaction from captain Adam Smith, speaking to BBC Radio Solent, below or on BBC Sounds
Did you know?
Bournemouth have led in all six of their games in all competitions under Marco Rose, with this just their second win along with a 4-0 victory over Lincoln City in the EFL Cup.
Justin Kluivert became the scorer of Bournemouth's first ever goal in major European competition, while he's now scored in each of his last three starts, with his previous two coming for Roma in 2019-20.
Analysis: Bournemouth dazzle before digging inpublished at 22:29 BST 17 September
22:29 BST 17 September
Sam Drury BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
For 45 minutes, Bournemouth could have been forgiven for wondering what people meant by the challenges of European football as they threatened to run away with the game in San Sebastian.
They began confidently, passing the ball around sharply and quickly picking holes in the Sociedad defence.
Off the ball, they did not give their hosts a moment's peace, snapping into tackles and swarming all over them.
When Rayan nodded in the second, their momentum was such that the only question seemed to be how many they might score - with Scott running the show in midfield, Evanilson dragging the defence all over and Kluivert finding pockets of space with ease.
But Sociedad stayed in the game and from the flowing football of the first half, the second became about Bournemouth's grit.
The defence was tested time and again, and while not always entirely convincing, they kept Sociedad at bay more often than not.
On the occasions they didn't, Petrovic was there to rescue them with two vital saves from Oskarsson.
A European victory to cherish secured, Bournemouth can now look ahead to a reunion with the man who got them here as they prepare for the visit of Andoni Iraola's Liverpool on Sunday.
Image source, Getty Images
