Bournemouth

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We asked you to rate Bournemouth's start to the Premier League season and tell us what Marco Rose should be focusing on during the extended international break.

Here are some of your comments:

Bob: Achieving a top position in the league requires a solid defence. An experienced and steady head to come on for the last 15 or 20 minutes to bring a little toughness and do away with the brittleness at present.

Michael: A missed opportunity so far to be much higher up in the league. Too many squandered chances to put games to bed and a general lack of determination to see games out. With so many more games now the manager needs to use more of the squad more regularly.

Patrick: It's simple - we're weak in every position. The new gaffer has not made his mark and shows no creativity, energy or urgency. Last season showed what we are capable of achieving and now we seem to be struggling at the wrong end of the table. New blood is needed especially in attack and, if things don't improve, then maybe in management!

Harry: Really poor start. What should have been nine or even 12 points by now has been converted into three and leaves us not only vulnerable, with Europe and cups on the horizon, but with key players already injured (Kroupi and Kluivert) and naturally we'll only pick up more. That's the past two seasons' top goalscorers. Rose will want time to bed in but he doesn't have it. Leaky at the back in the closing stages of games and poor finishing, as per the past few seasons. I can see this being nearer the relegation fight than mid-table with us overcommitted and a small squad.

Roger: Poor defending at times and an element of bad luck have both been key features during first five games. Winning the first of the eight Europa League games shows what we can do. A Premier League win in either of the next two games, with a draw in the other, will take us towards mid-table.

Jeff: The last 10 minutes of every league match has been a shambles as a result of random and often pointless substitutions. Rose needs to get this right quickly or we could end up in an unnecessary relegation scrap.

Bournemouth's Alex Scott is among Chelsea's primary midfield targets, with the Blues no longer interested in Monaco's Lamine Camara. (CaughtOffside), external

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

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As we enter the first international break, we want to hear your thoughts on the opening five games of the Premier League season.

Bournemouth have impressed in many of their first games under new boss Marco Rose, and made a winning start in their first ever European game, but they have already lost seven points from winning positions and are yet to emerge victorious from a league match.

The Cherries sit 17th on three points, and know consistently playing on Thursdays and Sundays is just around the corner.

How do you rate the Cherries' start to the season and why? And what Should Rose be focusing on during the extended break?

Get in touch with your views here

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport senior journalist

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A remarkable eight-month sequence was ended at the weekend as Bournemouth suffered their first home defeat since champions Arsenal came away from Vitality Stadium with a 3-2 win on 3 January.

To twist the knife a little further, the run was ended by Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola, whose personal unbeaten run now stands at 25 games - the last 18 matches of last season with the Cherries (since that aforementioned defeat by Arsenal), and his first seven games as Reds boss.

And Iraola's successor Marco Rose will know that, notwithstanding a 4-0 thumping of Lincoln in the EFL Cup, and that historic Europa League success at Real Sociedad last Thursday, the statistic about the Cherries not having won in the Premier League this season will not go away - until they do.

The Liverpool game was the fewest shots on target (two) that a Cherries team under Rose has produced this season, and it was the first time this term that Bournemouth had not taken the lead.

Losing Justin Kluivert to injury, where he joins last season's top scorer Eli Junior Kroupi in the treatment room, has arguably deprived Rose of the best two finishers in his squad.

On the face of it, losing by the odd goal to Manchester City and Liverpool, while drawing with Everton, Newcastle and Brentford, should not be a reason to press the panic button just yet.

It would be difficult to find a single Cherries fan who would have swapped that night in San Sebastian for any number of league points.

But rediscovering a goal threat will be the priority when the international break ends and Bournemouth face seven games in the last 22 days of October.

Explore Bournemouth content on BBC Sounds

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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The fact that Arsenal are not invincible has clearly come as a bit of a surprise to some people.

They were thumped by Brighton at the weekend, while Brentford hammered Chelsea to go fourth and Bournemouth narrowly lost to Liverpool.

The three little Bs, who I wrote about more than once last season, are at it again, fearlessly going for blood against the big dogs.

Both Brighton and Brentford will sit in the top four for the three weeks of the international break, with Bournemouth finding their feet under a new manager.

Their success should now not be surprising. In the last four seasons Brighton have averaged an eighth-place league finish - astonishing for a smaller provincial club outwith the major cities.

Arsenal's three-goal capitulation was initially a shock, but should it still be a surprise down at Brighton?

This season, the Seagulls have also scored three against Chelsea and Manchester United, four against Tromso and Aston Villa while slapping Coventry with five.

This does not look like a lucky run of form or a purple patch on the pitch; this looks like who they are now.

Bournemouth were sixth last season and I think Brighton could do even better than that this time round.

The likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Villa are each capable of getting their acts together after early stumbles, but the chance of reaching the Champions League has never seemed so achievable for the more pocket-sized Premier League clubs.

During the second half of the recent Carabao Cup demolition of Manchester United at Old Trafford, I started to think "this team is very special".

The Reds had a few youngsters playing that night, but after going 2-0 down Fabian Hurzeler's men played some of the cleverest, quickest, most intricate passing football I have seen in years.

The incredible pace with which they pressed the opposition only added to the heady, unstoppable mix.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

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Bournemouth's 1-0 loss against Liverpool saw Marco Rose's side head into the international break failing to register a single win in their opening five league games of the season.

Questions are now being raised about squad depth, tactics and how Rose's team are not able to capitalise on leads in games.

The Cherries have made just two changes to their Premier League starting XIs under their new boss this season - the fewest of any side.

It's the least changes to a starting XI by any manager in his first five Premier League games since Roberto de Zerbi with Brighton in October 2022 (one).

Former Bournemouth defender Joe Partington told BBC Radio Solent's Cherries Unpicked podcast that the side lack "conviction, creativity and a lack of ideas in those final moments".

"There is no lack of effort or desire," he said. "Sometimes the atmosphere fizzles out in the stadium and it becomes disgruntled. People question substitution choices."

Against the Reds was the first time Bournemouth failed to attempt 10 or more shots in a Premier League home game in 2026 (nine), last doing so in December 2025 v Everton.

Although Partington believed much of the performance against Liverpool was "encouraging", Rose's wait for a first league win goes on.

"All Bournemouth needs to do to answer those questions is win a game. Is there a depth of quality? I'm not 100% sure," he added.

"We have seen Bournemouth play well, but it is not enough to play well, they have got to win games."

Before facing former boss Andoni Iraola, the Cherries had led every league game by at least a goal before capitulating and suffering three draws and two losses.

"At the moment, the narrative is - are Bournemouth going to win the next game? That is the cloud that hangs over them."

Listen to the full episode of Cherries Unpicked on BBC Sounds here

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

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans

Derek: Very poor game management. Subs on too late and too many Championship players on the bench.

Tez: Maybe it was time to give the squad a go. We looked tired. No zip in passing or our usual energy. Missed Justin Kluivert. Late subs gave no chance of a comeback but didn't feel Liverpool were a big threat either. Well done, Iraola - nice to see you. Must have been strange in opposite changing rooms and dugouts. Onwards and upwards.

Mike: Bournemouth need to buy in January. The team is small and lacking in quality. Marco Rose's tactics and style of play is not what was expressed before he joined. His attacking style is weak and the team is sloppy. Bournemouth needs to have some replacement managers in the line-up, I don't see Marco working out.

Bob: Once again, lots of running, mostly to no avail. When down, attempting to win by effort alone is not successful. Calm heads and experience are required to steady the team and come again. At the moment, both are missing.

Liverpool fans

Robbie: Taking a bit of getting going, but understandable with new boss trying to sort out last season's problems. Florian Wirtz - another poor performance.. On plus side, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak linked up again, and defence has improved. Slow signs of improvement... still unbeaten, but hard program ahead after the international break.

David: I would have taken the 0-1 before a ball was kicked. Always going to be a hard game for a lot of reasons. Liverpool still not clicking in certain areas, some combinations not working with the system we are trying to implement. Need to move the ball quicker and slicker. More training ground time for everyone to get it working together.

Ian: A scrappy affair with too many underachievers, with the exception of Jeremy Jacquet, who was once again outstanding. Isak scored the goal but the rest of his performance was dire. Why Liverpool persevere with Wirtz is a mystery because once again he was woeful. I lost count of how many wayward passes there were all over the pitch. I feel sorry for Iraola, he's got a near-impossible job on his hands to shape this squad of misfits into a team that can challenge for silverware.

Tony: Not enough chances created in the final-third. Got the job done in the end and are improving slowly. Good boost for confidence before the international break.

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Bournemouth defender Antonio Silva has said Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Liverpool at Vitality Stadium was not a fair reflection of the game.

"We deserved more from this match", he told BBC Radio Solent. "A defeat, for us, is hard.

"It's hard to concede a goal, always. That's football and we tried everything to score.

"We have a lot of quality players and a lot now go off to national teams. When they come back, we will try to build tension for the Premier League.

"We have a good mentality and the coach is very good, so we will try everything to win the next game."

Hit play below to hear more from Silva or listen on BBC Sounds here

A new episode of BBC Radio Solent's Cherries Unpicked podcast has landed on BBC Sounds, as Jordan Clark and ex-Bournemouth defender Joe Partington assess Sunday's 1-0 home defeat by Liverpool.

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

Bournemouth starting XI:

Djordje Petrovic: Quiet first half but made a good save with his feet to keep out Bradley Barcola. No chance of stopping Isak's goal. 6

Adam Smith: Good shift on his 431st appearance for Bournemouth. Largely nullified Barcola's threat. 6

Antonio Silva: Settling into life in the Premier League, and this was another impressive display from the Portuguese centre-back. 6

James Hill: Solid on his 50th Premier League appearance and, like Silva, kept Alexander Isak quiet until the Liverpool forward found himself in space to break the deadlock. 6

Adrien Truffert: Good battle with Cody Gakpo but was sloppy in possession and was ultimately beaten by the Dutchman just before Liverpool's goal. 5

Tyler Adams: A decent display but will look back at Isak's goal and wonder if he should have done better defensively. 5

Alex Scott: Such a tidy player, especially in possession, and can now look forward to joining England on international duty. 6

Rayan: Scored in midweek and was good to watch whenever he had the ball but didn't get on it enough. Great ball to Ryan Christie after Liverpool scored. 6

Ryan Christie: Started in the absence of Justin Kluivert. Got into some good positions but failed to convert. 6

Marcus Tavernier: Threatened going forward and nearly got an assist when he put in a good cross for Evanilson. 6

Evanilson: Caused problems and had a first-half flick saved by Alisson and another effort denied after the break. 6

Bournemouth substitutes:

Cook (on 75, Smith): 5

Brooks (on 75, Tavernier): 5

Jebbison (on 75, Christie): 5

Gannon-Doak (on 88, Adams)

Toth (on 88, Rayan)

Subs not used:

Di Gregorio, Soler, Gannon-Doak, Diakite, Sanchez.

Read the full article and see how you rated the players

Bournemouth manager Marco Rose speaking to BBC Sport: "It is disappointing to lose this kind of game when it is really tight. But we defended one situation not well enough. We didn't use our chances today and, in the end, we lose the game with one situation. We have to be sharper in both boxes.

"You don't get points for playing well, that is what we see. The fact is we have three points after five games when we could win every game. We have to speak about it, we don't have to change things in general - we just have to change details but we need to change those quick.

"We played a good game against Liverpool, who has some days more to recover. We looked fit, even at the end we were the team that went for a goal.

"It's about details and right now it is really disappointing, but I am quite confident we can change the situation points-wise."

Listen to Rose speaking to BBC Radio Solent here

Did you know?

• This is the ninth time in their history that Bournemouth have failed to win any of their opening five matches of a league campaign (drawn three, lost two), and second in the Premier League, after 2023-24.

• Bournemouth have made just two changes to their Premier League starting XIs under Marco Rose this season, the fewest of any side. It's the fewest XI changes by any manager in his first five Premier League games since Roberto de Zerbi with Brighton in October 2022 (one).

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist

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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.

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

Have your say on Bournemouth's performance

What did you make of Liverpool's display?

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

There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Bournemouth v Liverpool - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Leeds United v Crystal Palace - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Manchester City v Sunderland - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Fulham v Manchester United (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

How to follow the Premier League weekend across the BBC

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

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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.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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.

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.

Explore Bournemouth content on BBC Sounds

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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."

Listen to live commentary of Bournemouth v Liverpool on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds on Sunday

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We asked for your views on Bournemouth's historic 2-1 win over Real Sociedad in their Europa League opener on Thursday.

Here are some of your comments:

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.

Daniel: 100% record in Europe - fact!