Is Europe dream a reality for Bournemouth?

When Bournemouth stunned Manchester United astatine Old Trafford past month, their fans were singing astir European qualification.

The Cherries person ne'er played continental football, but the imagination has each accidental of becoming a world arsenic they continued their awesome signifier with triumph against Everton connected Saturday.

The triumph extended their unbeaten tally successful the Premier League to 8 games and means they are seventh successful the table, conscionable 3 points disconnected the apical four.

"Nobody truly likes coming to play america present and each location crippled we spell into it reasoning we tin win," Bournemouth's matchwinner against Everton, David Brooks, said.

"We person to conscionable support our feet connected the crushed and support plugging distant crippled by game."

But the conflict for European shot is wide open, with conscionable 4 points separating Chelsea successful 4th and Aston Villa successful eighth - astatine the aforesaid signifier past play the spread was 9 points.

Since Andoni Iraola was appointed Bournemouth manager successful June 2023 the Cherries person lone gone from spot to strength, and their statistic nether him this play marque for awesome reading:

Twelve years ago, Bournemouth were playing successful the 3rd tier of English football, but person spent much clip during the past decennary successful the Premier League than retired of it.

But alternatively than conscionable making up the numbers successful the apical flight, their eyes are firmly acceptable connected European football.

Bournemouth proprietor Bill Foley precocious told BBC Sport: "Our extremity this twelvemonth is modest. Can we determination to the apical 8 oregon nine, possibly adjacent sneak into Europe?

"Our existent extremity is to play successful Europe, to springiness our players a accidental to acquisition Europe and bash it with small Bournemouth."

The large trial of their credentials comes successful their adjacent fewer games arsenic they play Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Liverpool - each sides supra them successful the table.

Not excessively agelong agone radical were talking astir Chelsea arsenic imaginable rubric contenders with the Blues having climbed arsenic precocious arsenic 2nd successful the table.

Those wrong the nine continually played that down and possibly with bully crushed because, aft a tally of 5 Premier League victories successful a row, they person failed to triumph their past 4 games, losing to Fulham and Ipswich and drafting with Everton and Crystal Palace.

"Two weeks ago, 3 weeks ago, we were talking astir the rubric race," Chelsea brag Enzo Maresca said aft Saturday's gully with the Eagles.

"So it's for me, it's not astir the table. It's conscionable astir seeing however we tin amended things."

Fifth spot Newcastle made an inconsistent commencement to the play but look to beryllium hitting their stride now, with Saturday's triumph astatine Tottenham their 5th triumph successful a enactment successful the Premier League.

Manchester City, who are sixth, are showing signs of coming done their atrocious tally of signifier aft Saturday's triumph against West Ham made it back-to-back wins successful the Premier League.

"We saw successful galore years our level and we are not astatine our level. We won, I americium truthful blessed and it helps us," City brag Guardiola said aft the Hammers win.

"I'm precise pleased for the effect but you cannot inquire maine if the aged City is back. If you saw the game, we are not."

Eighth-place Aston Villa boosted their Europe aspirations by beating Leicester connected Saturday.

In galore ways, Unai Emery's broadside connection inspiration for a nine similar Bournemouth aft they realised their ain imagination past play by finishing successful the apical 4 to unafraid Champions League shot for the existent campaign.

"We needed those 3 points aft we drew astatine location with Brighton and we are challenging to beryllium successful the apical 10, apical eight," Emery said.

"The league is precise hard due to the fact that a batch of teams are performing precise well."