Saturday 16 April 2016 15:26, UK
Last weekend was a memorable one in the Premier League, but in between Arsenal's collapse at Upton Park and Leicester's latest triumph at the Stadium of Light, there was a significant moment elsewhere that went largely unnoticed, writes Nick Wright.
With their 2-1 win over Aston Villa, Bournemouth surpassed the 40-point mark with five games to spare. As they approach the end of their maiden season in the top flight, Eddie Howe's side are in 11th place and just three points behind defending champions Chelsea. They are closer to the European places than the relegation zone.
Perhaps the greatest testament to the achievement is that nobody is talking about it. Bournemouth were supposed to be on their way back to the Championship by now. Instead, a run of nine wins from 18 games since the start of December has given them the air of seasoned Premier League campaigners. Their survival hasn't looked in doubt for months.
And yet the circumstances could hardly have been more challenging. In the space of a few weeks between August and September, months of planning went out the window as club-record signing Tyrone Mings, £7m winger Max Gradel and top scorer Callum Wilson were struck down by knee ligament injuries.
It was a nightmare scenario equivalent to Leicester losing Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Christian Fuchs, or Spurs having to cope without Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Danny Rose. But Howe adapted without complaint, and even an eight-game winless run before Christmas wasn't enough to shake Bournemouth's spirit.
"If you look at what they've done in isolation or compare it to what everybody else has done in this league, it has been quite a remarkable feat," former England striker Luther Blissett, who spent three seasons at Bounemouth between 1988 and 1991, told Sky Sports.
"When they picked up the injuries they were written off and people were saying they were going to go down. They went through a period where they couldn't buy a victory but they kept plugging away. You've got to give credit to the manager. He believes in his methods and the players, and they believe in it too."
Bournemouth's success owes a lot to good coaching and hard work, with Howe demanding maximum dedication and effort from his players at all times. Premier League tracking data shows they cover more distance per game than any other side, while only Liverpool and Tottenham record more high-intensity sprints.
The breathless style is epitomised by midfielder Andrew Surman, who averages 12.1km per game, second only to Liverpool's James Milner in the Premier League. "All our training is high-intensity," he told the Daily Express in March. "The manager has really high standards. He keeps that intensity high, and he expects it in return. If you drop your standards for one day, he is on you."
Bournemouth brought in 11 new signings to strengthen their squad over the course of the season, but Howe values togetherness and continuity highly. As such, all seven of their players to have made 30 or more Premier League appearances had a key role in their promotion from the Championship last season, and six of them are British, too.
"He's predominantly got British players there, so for them to be in the position they are is quite a feat," added Blissett. "It's become so acceptable to just bring mediocre foreign players in, you forget that we have got very good British-based players here. He's given them an opportunity to play in the Premier League and the rewards are obvious.
"Not every signing that you bring in will be successful. So the more you bring in, the more disharmony you create in the squad, and that's something that never, ever goes away once you have started down that road. He needed to keep that harmony and belief and only bring in players who suited the club, the manager and the style - and he's managed to do that."
He's predominantly got British players there, so for them to be in the position they are is quite a feat.
One of the most impressive aspects of Bournemouth's survival is the manner in which they have achieved it. The Cherries won the Championship playing slick, possession-based football, and Howe has stuck to his principles in the top-flight. They rank in the top 10 for passes, possession and chances created, and only Arsenal and Everton have completed more dribbles.
Saturday's cleverly worked opener against Aston Villa - where Matt Ritchie's drag-back set up Simon Francis from a quickly-taken corner - was an example of Howe's ability to innovate, and it is no mean feat to have scored more goals than Manchester United in their first season in the Premier League.
"You do have to adapt your style a little bit the higher up you go, but I think the ideal behind what you're looking to do should always be the same," says Bissett. "If your players are able to cope with continuing what you started, then you've got to let them get on with it. You've got to show them that belief, and they've all done that at Bournemouth.
"They do play decent football and they do knock the ball around, and it's good to see that they've achieved what they have done in that way. Even the games they've ended up losing have been entertaining. They go out with the intent to attack the opposition and that is a major factor in the success that they have had."
There have been heavy losses to the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham, but Bournemouth are no pushovers and Howe has shown tactical expertise, too.
Along with Arsenal, they are one of only two sides unbeaten in two games against Leicester this season, and with their battling goalless draw at the King Power Stadium in January, they became one of only three sides to stop Claudio Ranieri's men from scoring.
Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton and Manchester United are among Bournemouth's opponents in their final five games of the season, but they can approach the daunting run knowing Premier League status is assured. Their achievements may have passed under the radar, but Howe and his players are exactly where they belong.
Luther Blissett's company Bliss8 is powering a new youth academy at non-league side Burnham FC
