Bournemouth

Matthew Hobbs

Bournemouth play their first home game under new head coach Marco Rose against an Everton side who defeated Crystal Palace last weekend.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of Saturday's meeting at the Vitality Stadium (15:00 BST).

Bournemouth prepare to host Everton having so nearly enjoyed the perfect start at Manchester City last weekend.

A goal up through Marcus Tavernier with just six minutes of normal time left, the Cherries conceded twice late on to fall to a 2-1 defeat and end their club record run of 18 Premier League matches unbeaten.

As opening home fixtures for Bournemouth's new boss go, facing Everton appears to be a kind one – at least on paper.

The Cherries have won nine Premier League games against the Toffees – their highest number of victories against any opponent.

The south coast side also tend to start well on home territory – they haven't lost their opening fixture at the Vitality Stadium in any of the last eight league campaigns (W4, D4) since a 2-0 loss to Watford nearly a decade ago.

Rose is aiming to become just the second manager to win his first Premier League home game in charge of the Cherries after Scott Parker's 2-0 victory versus Aston Villa in August 2022.

Everton, though, did triumph on their most recent visit to Bournemouth last season, with on-loan winger Jack Grealish settling a tight affair in the 78th minute.

Grealish may yet return to Everton from Manchester City this summer and while manager David Moyes has publicly declared his need for more signings, the Toffees are enjoying a good start to the new campaign.

They followed the home win against Crystal Palace last weekend by beating Preston North End convincingly in the League Cup on Wednesday night.

Moyes made just three changes for the cup fixture and with a tight turnaround and long journey to factor in before Saturday, further rotation may be expected when Everton's team is announced.

Thierno Barry, though, is sure to start after scoring his first hat-trick for the club in the cup fixture at Deepdale.

Barry also scored against Palace last weekend, meaning he is just four goals off his total of eight in all competitions from last season after only two matches.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has matched Barry with nine goals since the start of 2025-26 but perhaps what sets the 27-year-old apart is his ability to convert unlikely chances.

He gave Everton the lead from a tight angle against the Eagles, meaning his nine goals for the Blues have come from an expected goals tally of just 4.3. Only Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo has exceeded his xG total by a higher figure since the start of last season.

Everton will next target beginning their campaign with back-to-back league victories for the first time since 2020-21 under Carlo Ancelotti.

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Bournemouth's draw is complete - Marco Rose's side now know the eight sides they will be meeting in the Europa League's 36-club league phase.

The teams were seeded into four pots based on their results in Uefa competitions over the past five years, with pot one being the highest-ranked and pot four being the lowest-ranked.

Each club has been drawn against two teams from each of the four pots, but they can only play a maximum of two teams from one country and they cannot play against a team from their domestic league.

The Cherries will face: AC Milan (home), Real Sociedad (away), Viktoria Plzen (home), Sparta Prague (away), Sturm Graz (home), Celta Vigo (away), Hapoel Beer Sheva (home), Lillestrom (away).

The order of those fixtures will be announced by Uefa in due course.

League phase dates:

Matchday 1: 16/17 September 2026

Matchday 2: 15 October 2026

Matchday 3: 22 October 2026

Matchday 4: 5 November 2026

Matchday 5: 26 November 2026

Matchday 6: 10 December 2026

Matchday 7: 21 January 2027

Matchday 8: 28 January 2027

Knockout phase dates:

Knockout phase play-offs: 18 & 25 February 2027

Round of 16: 11 & 18 March 2027

Quarter-finals: 8 & 15 April 2027

Semi-finals: 29 April & 6 May 2027

Final: 26 May 2027, Frankfurt

See how the rest of the league phase draw panned out

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Bournemouth boss Marco Rose has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Everton at Vitality Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There are no fresh injuries to report and the squad is in a "good spot". Ryan Christie is back in contention after recovering from an injury and serving his red card suspension. Tyler Adams, Juanlu Sanchez and Julio Soler have all got one more week of first-team training under their belts.

• Despite being benched for Bournemouth's season opener, Alvaro Rodriguez is "ready to go". The summer signing is "adapting to the demands and the intensity of the Premier League", but he is "progressing in a good way".

• Rose is "really excited" to lead his team out at Vitality Stadium. He visited the ground for the very first time on Thursday and took a training session there.

• On how the stadium redevelopment is coming along: "It is still a building site, I have to say. When you build something this big, you always have some weak points at the start, but it always looks really good at the end. I'm looking forward to it being finished."

• Everton are a "good and compact" team, but Bournemouth will "look to find the moments to attack" to get their first points on the board.

• He added: "They defend well, they try to press high in different formations and their box defending is really diligent. They have players with quality on the ball. Their wingers are one-v-one players who are always able to hurt you if you aren't awake."

• It is "always good" to inherit a squad that is full of confidence, but there can be "tension" until a team wins their first competitive game under a new coach.

• On whether more additions are needed before the transfer window closes: "I feel we have a competitive team already, despite it not being really big. We have competition of at least two players in every position and that should be enough. We also have enough to take care of our players' load."

• He is "120% sure" Alex Scott will still be a Bournemouth player come 2 September: "I'm not just confident, I'm sure."

• The Cherries aren't going to sell any other players after losing Marcos Senesi and Alex Jimenez this summer.

• New goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio will bring "a lot of experience and quality" to the squad. Rose added: "Maybe he will bring a bit of 'Dolce Vita' as well!"

• Lastly, "everyone is excited and looking forward to" the Europa League draw on Friday.

Hit play above to hear more from Rose, speaking to BBC Radio Solent's Jordan Clark, or listen on BBC Sounds here

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 commentary of Bournemouth v Everton from 14:55 on Saturday

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Bournemouth? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Chelsea have lined up Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott as a replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who might be on the move to Manchester City. (Sun, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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The draw for the Carabao Cup third round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Premier League teams in the order they were drawn.

The matches will be played in the weeks commencing September 7 and September 14.

• Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough

• Manchester United v Brighton

• Manchester City v Norwich City

• Sunderland v Hull City

• Ipswich Town v Arsenal

• Coventry City v Aston Villa

• Bournemouth v Lincoln City

• Liverpool v Tottenham

• Chelsea or Luton Town v Leeds

• Millwall v Newcastle United

• Everton v Wolves

• Reading v Brentford

• West Ham v Fulham or AFC Wimbledon

Read more and see the full draw

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport senior journalist

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New season, new manager... same old defeat at Manchester City?

Etihad Stadium has been the opposite of a happy hunting ground for Bournemouth, having tasted defeat on all 10 Premier League visits, plus an EFL Cup tie for good measure.

But Sunday's game was their most tantalising so far. Having never previously taken the lead there, the Cherries led this time from the 26th minute until the 84th, before two late goals proved their undoing.

It will be the first City goal, however, which will cause most concern. Marc Guehi was left unmarked at a corner for the second time in the game and made no mistake having spurned an earlier opportunity.

If strong elements of Bournemouth's play under his predecessor Andoni Iraola have remained under new boss Marco Rose, a perceived weakness at defending set-pieces has not gone away.

Only Liverpool (20) conceded more top-flight goals than the Cherries (18) last season, although older supporters have joked that defending corners has been an issue for Bournemouth since at least the mid-1990s.

With Iraola taking several backroom staff with him to Liverpool in the summer, Rose has recruited a new coaching team of his own, including set-piece coach Nicolas Gagnon, who filled the same role for his native Canada at the World Cup.

While assistant coach Shaun Cooper was credited with taking charge of set-pieces under Iraola and has now joined him at Anfield, Gagnon is the first man to be specifically appointed to the role at Bournemouth.

And as BBC Radio Solent summariser Joe Partington alluded to on the latest episode of Cherries Unpicked, the coaching staff may have their work cut out on Saturday against an Everton side who possessed a significant height advantage when the sides met last season.

Before then, though, Cherries fans will be glued to news from Monaco at lunchtime on Friday as their dream of European football becomes a reality when the league phase draw of the Europa League is made. Finally time to get those passports out.

• Explore Bournemouth content on BBC Sounds

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Premier League history was made before a ball was even kicked this season as a record nine clubs started the campaign with new managers.

The post-Andoni Iraola has begun at Bournemouth under new head coach Marco Rose, who last managed RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

So how did he fare on an eventful first weekend of the 2026-27 campaign?

The German successor came within six minutes of starting his Premier League career with a statement win at Manchester City, only to concede two late goals to suffer a heartbreaking loss.

He will be frustrated at the manner of City's goals, with Marc Guehi unmarked at a corner for the equaliser, then a slow reaction for Josko Gvardiol's stoppage-time winner, but Rose was also shown in those first 84 minutes that he has plenty of materials to work with in a Cherries side that finished sixth last season.

Rose will have seen enough to deliver early signs of encouragement amid the disappointment of such a painful late loss.

Read Phil's thoughts on how the rest of the new faces fared here

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

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The third-round draw for the 2026-27 Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday, 26 August following the conclusion of Preston North End vs Everton.

Nine Premier League clubs taking part in European football join the 23 first-round winners from across the English Football League.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton and Crystal Palace will enter the competition at this stage, as the top eight Premier League clubs from the 2025-26 season plus Crystal Palace as Conference League winners.

It will be broadcast live on Sky Sports following the conclusion of the third round tie between Preston North End and Everton, kicking off at 20:00 BST.

Unlike the opening two rounds of the competition, the third round draw is not regionalised.

However, before the match at Deepdale there will be a pre-draw determining which of the Champions League and Europa League clubs will play at home or away in round three.

In order to avoid potential scheduling issues, the eight Champions League and Europa League clubs cannot be drawn against each other in round three.

When the draw takes place, the first eight fixtures decided are the ones involving clubs in the Champions League and Europa League. The remainder of the draw will be an open draw as usual.

Due to clashes with opening weeks of the Champions League and Europa League seasons, the third round will be played across two different weeks. They are the weeks commencing Monday, 7 and Monday, 14 September, 2026.

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Bournemouth are used to being picked off and will simply be hoping to come through the final week of the transfer window unscathed.

It is clear that big clubs are circling for forward Eli Junior Kroupi and midfielder Alex Scott, who the Cherries insist are not for sale.

In terms of incomings, Bournemouth are largely done after their loan move for Juventus goalkeeper Michele di Gregorio.

What business do you think still needs to get done before 23:00 BST on 1 September?

Get in touch with your views here

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Michele di Gregorio says it is "an honour" to join Bournemouth and "have the chance to play" in the Premier League.

The 29-year-old goalkeeper, who has signed on a season-long loan deal from Juventus, will provide competition for number one Djordje Petrovic at Vitality Stadium.

The Cherries will not pay a loan fee but will cover the Italian's full salary. They are also due to pay a £1m penalty fee if they do not trigger the option to buy him for £12m, plus a further £2.5m in add-ons.

"I'm very happy to be here," Di Gregorio said. "This is a very important moment for me and that's why I think the decision to come here to Bournemouth was the right one.

"I felt the club's desire to have me here and I felt the ambition that this club has to continue to grow and do great things.

"The Premier League is the most beautiful league in the world. It's an honour for me to be here and to have the chance to play and play at such a high level."

Gregorio is an Inter Milan youth product who has spent his entire career in Italy, going from the third division on loan at Renate to Serie A with Monza in 2020, before joining Juventus in 2024.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Bournemouth defender Joe Partington told BBC Radio Solent's Jordan Clark on the latest episode of Cherries: Unpicked that defensive set-pieces were the "catalyst" in Bournemouth's capitulation at Manchester City.

Marc Guehi's 84th-minute equaliser - a free header in the area - sparked a City comeback as Enzo Maresca's side turned the opening game of Bournemouth's season on its head.

"Guehi was allowed a free header and I would lay the blame on the players if that was the only time in the game that had happened," said Partington.

"But on a second occasion, Guehi was allowed a free run at the ball. Perhaps that needs to be looked at.

"Under new management, perhaps you have to get something wrong to then get it right."

Last season, Andoni Iraola's side conceded 26 goals from set-pieces, the most amount of any team during the 2025-26 campaign.

Rose has introduced former Southampton set-piece coach Nicolas Gagnon as the new set-piece coach in the summer.

Gagnon was also in charge of Canada's set-piece's during the 2026 World Cup.

Bournemouth will face Everton next in Rose's first home game at the Vitality, but Partington expects a tough challenge from David Moyes' side.

"Everton are a very physical team with a lot of firepower in terms of their offensive set-pieces. When they came to the Vitality last year, in football terms, they did a job on Bournemouth."

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Bournemouth content on BBC Sounds

Chelsea have had three bids rejected this summer for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott. (The i), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Manchester City and Bournemouth.

Here are some of your comments:

Man City fans

Brian: City showed belief and grit in this opening game of the season. The conceding of an early goal is a concern but they dug deep and played for each other to score two well-worked, late goals. The team played as a unit and with high-possession stats they have lost nothing from previous seasons. A good watch and fans must go with the changes. This was a good day and there is a lot more to come from this squad.

Anthony: Lucky. Cherki made the difference. City won't stay in top four at this rate.

Luis: So far Maresca has NOT impressed me. He seems to choose the wrong team formations and only corrects it at the end or, in the case of the Community Shield, too late. I hope he learns that without creativity and field reading he will not succeed. Rodri understood this fault of Maresca's, so he left. Maresca seems to be stuck in the past.

Ged: Very lucky to win. Bournemouth played well and City were average. Better teams will tear City's defence apart if they perform like that. But, it's the first of 38, the manager is getting his ideas across and the players are finding their feet. No panic required. It's three points. Onwards!

Bournemouth fans

Toby: Thought the performance was extremely promising, with the passing and pressing on point. Just unfortunate to miss out late on. Can only be excited for what is to come under Rose.

Michael L: When will Bournemouth (and others) learn that scoring one goal and then parking the bus only works against poor sides - and even if it does work, that the most likely result is a draw. Even getting a second goal doesn't always get a result with these tactics. It is also very boring.

Kirsi: In similar fashion to the defeat from last season at Anfield, Bournemouth proved themselves as a quality side capable of putting up a good fight against top clubs. However, it was the late goals that made us drop points once again. I think the performance against City was good for the most part, but there are still areas we need to improve on in order to carry over the success from last season into theis new era for our club.

Michael K: We were not aggressive enough and played too many backwards passes, even from free-kicks. Overall, a disappointing performance against an underperforming City team.

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

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Goalkeeper Michele di Gregorio will have a medical at Bournemouth on Monday before joining on loan from Juventus.

The 29-year-old will provide competition for number one Djordje Petrovic and step in should the Serb lose form or suffer an injury.

The Cherries will not pay a loan fee but will cover the Italian's full salary. They are also due to pay a £1m penalty fee if they do not trigger the option to buy him for £12m, plus a further £2.5m in add-ons.

Gregorio is an Inter Milan youth product who has spent his entire career in Italy, going from the third division on loan at Renate to Serie A with Monza in 2020, before joining Juventus in 2024.

The move is significant as it signals that Marco Rose's side have largely completed their transfer business this summer, barring any surprises.

They have signed striker Alvaro Rodriguez from Elche, defender Antonio Silva from Benfica and full-back Juanlu Sanchez from Sevilla on permanent deals.

However, keeping hold of key players such as midfielder Alex Scott, who was the subject of a £64m bid from Chelsea, and forward Eli Junior Kroupi has also been important.

Bournemouth wanted to keep their strongest possible squad together as they prepare for their first European campaign in the Europa League.

Image source, Getty Images

Marcus Tavernier spoke to BBC Radio Solent after Bournemouth's defeat at Manchester City: "Ultimately, it's disappointment and frustration. To play so well for 85 minutes and concede so late on in the ways we did was not good enough. We know how big set-pieces are in football these days, so to let someone get a free header like that, we have to have a look at ourselves and work on that.

"The boys gave a good showing of what we want to do with the new manager. It was a perfect test for us against a top side. It's frustrating not to come away with anything."

On his goal: "That is something we've been working on with the manager; being confident on the ball, playing through lines. I felt we could have done that more but that was the perfect example of what we want to do. That is the kind of goal we need to be scoring to succeed this season."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds here or hit play below

Bournemouth starting XI:

Djordje Petrovic: A diving save at full stretch denied both Haaland and Semenyo but beaten late on by Guehi and Gvardiol. 6

Adam Smith: The skipper kept Semenyo under lock and key throughout the game. 6

Antonio Silva: The Portuguese debutant looked comfortable as a ball-playing centre-half and showed he can mix it with the rough stuff against Haaland. Looks like being another shrewd signing but was yellow-carded for dissent. 7

James Hill: Continued his excellent form from last season by putting in a solid performance in the heart of the Bournemouth defence. 6

Adrien Truffert: Covered his centre-backs well to deny Haaland in the first half. 6

Alex Scott: A star in the making. The midfielder showcased why he has been linked with a move to City, displaying sublime composure on the ball throughout. 8

Lewis Cook: Nothing flashy, just a hardworking cog in Bournemouth's well-oiled machine. A real team player. 7

Marcus Tavernier: Coolly converted the opener at the back post to stun the home supporters and narrowly curled wide before half-time. 8

Justin Kluivert: Bournemouth's pacy frontline caused City issues and Kluivert was another menace. Unlucky not to score. 6

Rayan: Full of running and played a major part in the goal. Forced Donnarumma into a good save at his near post. 7

Evanilson: Picked out Tavernier perfectly with his low cross but was booked too. 6

Bournemouth substitutes:

Tyler Adams (on 75, Cook): 5

Daniel Jebbison (on 75, Evanilson): Forced Donnarumma into a good save after coming on. 6

Alex Toth (on 75, Kluivert): 5

Ben Gannon-Doak (on 89, Rayan): 5

Subs not used: Dennis, Brooks, Diakite, Sanchez, Rodriguez

Read the full article and see how you rated the players

Jordan Clark and Joe Partington dissect Bournemouth's opening game of the Premier League season. The Cherries were minutes away from recording their first ever win at the Etihad, but conceded two late goals to come away on the wrong side of a 2-1 defeat.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Bournemouth content on BBC Sounds

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

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Bournemouth fans would have feared a dip after enjoying the best season in their history last campaign. Sixth place took them into Europe for the first time ever.

And it was a surprise when boss Andoni Iraola announced in April he would be leaving in the summer - eventually joining Liverpool.

Ex-Salzburg and Leipzig boss Marco Rose was confirmed soon after - replacing Iraola at the end of last season, giving him plenty of time to watch from a distance and get to know his new team.

Only one of the side who started against City was a new signing, with Portuguese defender Antonio Silva the replacement for Marcos Senesi, who left for Tottenham.

The Cherries showed plenty of the aggressive, positive play that they produced under Iraola thanks to such dangerous attackers on the break - including Rayan, Evanilson and Tavernier, who all linked up well for the opening goal.

Letting the lead slip late on will be hugely frustrating and ends their long unbeaten run, but Rose, and Cherries supporters, should still have seen plenty to encourage them from a game they would not have expected to win.

And if they had picked up Guehi from a corner maybe they would have done.

Marco Rose spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Bournemouth's defeat against Manchester City: "It's really disappointing. At the end we needed to finish the game. We had many good moments, we suffered, we found triggers to win balls, we had chances. We reacted well to difficult phases of the game. But at the end we had two situations where we defended not well enough. One corner kick where we got blocked and one situation we were just too passive around our box.

"It is what it is. I saw some really good efforts and the basics were all good. We now have to work on details to win these kinds of games away.

"It's always difficult here because you know how good they are in possession. We did many things in the right way but in the end maybe it was a question of power. But if you see the clock ticking and it's five minutes to go you need to stay active. You need to go forward and put them in uncomfortable situations. These are things we are going to speak about and we will try to do it better next time.

"All in all it was a good away game from us. But you want to make your fans happy. We didn't do that today but we will do it in the next games."

Listen to more from Rose, speaking to BBC Radio Solent's Jordan Clark, on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Bournemouth lost a Premier League game in which they led at half-time for only the second time in the last 36 instances (W25 D9), after November 2025 v Sunderland (2-3).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Man City's performance

What did you make of Bournemouth's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

There are three games in the Premier League on Sunday as the opening weekend continues, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brighton v Aston Villa - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Man City v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Newcastle v Liverpool (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Brighton v Aston Villa" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Newcastle match", for example.

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