Over the past six weeks a ripple of awareness has steadily spread through the Premier League: whatever it is, Bournemouth have found it. Their progress flew under the radar thanks to other storylines: Aston Villa are legitimate contenders to finish in the top four; Manchester City are showing vulnerabilities; oh, and, did you see that Harry Maguire won the Premier League player of the month award? All the while, Bournemouth were quietly clicking into gear and racking up points. In November they beat Newcastle United and Sheffield United by clear margins; then in early December they defeated Crystal Palace and came within a minute of doing the same to Villa. Yet they were still flying under the radar … until they won at Old Trafford for the first time in their 124-year history. That victory moved the needle. Bournemouth had more shots on target, had higher expected goals, hit the woodwork and were unlucky to have a goal disallowed by VAR. Any game Manchester United lose 3-0 at home is going to be seen as the latest chapter in a grim season for the club, but Bournemouth are now receiving the recognition they deserve. It is one of the best runs of form not only in the Premier League, but across Europe too. Bournemouth have picked up 13 points from their past five games. No team in the Premier League can beat that tally – and only Aston Villa and Liverpool can match it. In Europe, only Paris Saint-Germain have a better record over their past five games – and only Internazionale, Girona and Juventus can keep up. Bournemouth are in remarkable company. It has taken some time for things to come together under their manager, Andoni Iraola – more time, perhaps, than many owners in the Premier League would have allowed. But Bournemouth’s decision to move on from the popular Gary O’Neil in the summer was bold and highly scrutinised. So giving up on Iraola early was unlikely. The first nine games were tough, though; they leaked goals and chances, then fluffed their attacking lines. When O’Neil, now in charge of Wolves, exploited Bournemouth’s pressing game en route to a 2-1 victory, then went on Monday Night Football and showed everyone how he did it, Iraola might have felt ready to be swallowed up by the ground. But the team that will go to Luton on Saturday has adapted a great deal since facing Wolves two months ago. For a start, they have climbed from 19th in the table to 14th and are 10 points clear of the relegation zone. It is amazing how different things look when a manager’s ideas fully take hold – and, in this case, when an aggressive pressing system finds its groove and is complemented by excellent finishing. Dominic Solanke encapsulates the team’s newfound effectiveness. He has scored five goals in his past eight Premier League games while leading a ferocious press from the front. He was the club’s joint-top scorer in the league last season with seven goals but has already overtaken that figure in this campaign. Behind him sit Ryan Christie and Lewis Cook, a wolfish midfield pair who tear across the pitch and snap into challenges. Against Villa alone, Christie won six tackles and made two interceptions, setting a ridiculous standard that even the bustling John McGinn could not match. Speaking earlier in the season, Iraola said of Christie: “He is the most tactically intuitive player I have in the squad. He knows what’s going on at all times.” Milos Kerkez, recently restored to the starting lineup, is booming up and down the left flank. Ilya Zabarnyi is enjoying a golden period in the side, dominating ground duels in a defensive line that plays high and dabbles in risk. Put simply, Bournemouth are a nightmare to play against. They are exhausting; 90 minutes against Iraola’s side is like running a steeplechase. Their hard work is paying off: they have conceded only three goals in their past five games. It’s a brutal exercise of non-stop duels and varying obstacles that push opponents to their absolute limit. All the while, as his team scurries about the pitch at great intensity, Iraola watches placidly from the dugout, arms often folded, brain always calculating. The 41-year-old, who grew up within a half-hour drive of Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery in the Basque Country, is climbing up the table, too. His distinct tactical style – borne from playing under Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic Club in Bilbao and honed while managing Rayo Vallecano in La Liga – is blossoming on the south coast of England, making Bournemouth contenders every time they set foot on the pitch. This is an article by WhoScored Follow WhoScored and Sam Tighe on X