Bournemouth dreaming big after capitalising on Brighton’s malaise
There were a few eyebrows raised when Bournemouth owner Bill Foley said in December he is confident the club can qualify for Europe within five years but that prediction doesn’t look at all outlandish now. A comfortable victory thanks to goals from Marcos Senesi, Enes Unal on his first Premier League start and Justin Kluivert means Andoni Iraola’s side still have an outside chance of achieving that this season after totally outplaying a Brighton team who have clearly lost their way under Roberto De Zerbi.
In December, Foley – the American billionaire who has big plans for Bournemouth with a new 18,500 seater stadium in the pipeline – cited their south-coast rivals’ participation in the Europa League this season as an example of what can be achieved with the right approach. Yet while he might face a fight to hang onto Iraola’s services in the summer after an outstanding first campaign that has seen Bournemouth move four points clear of Brighton and into the top half of the table despite failing to record their first win until 28 October, things are unravelling quickly for De Zerbi.
