Premier League not Iraola´s only focus ahead of Southampton trip

Andoni Iraola is excited by Bournemouth’s prospects in the FA Cup, but the Premier League is the Cherries’ focus this weekend as they visit bottom club Southampton.

Bournemouth beat Everton 2-0 in what proved to be the final FA Cup match at Goodison Park on Saturday, sealing their place in the last 16.

They will face Wolves for a quarter-final spot in three weeks’ time, and they are also flying high in the Premier League table, sitting seventh, just three points adrift of the top four.

Some have tipped Bournemouth to go all the way in the cup, but Iraola is taking things one game at a time.

“This is not about looking at a run. You have to earn the right to play one more game, it’s what we won,” Iraola said after their cup victory.

“These competitions are about not just how you play. It’s about soul, it’s about belief, it’s about the willingness to sacrifice whatever is needed to go to the next round.

“I trust that we have this, even in a young team. I think they are adding experience. We have players that are really young but they’ve been there before, they’ve played a good amount of games.

“It’s not like they are immature. I think they are adding solidity to their game.”

Onto another week pic.twitter.com/9j8U2ECXDQ

— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) February 10, 2025

Unlike Bournemouth, Southampton were dumped out of the cup in the fourth round, losing 1-0 to Championship promotion hopefuls Burnley.

Head coach Ivan Juric felt that the result was harsh, saying: “I’m frustrated with the result. I think we did a really good performance.

“We had lots of moments, lots of chances, lots of free-kicks near their area and we weren’t able to score.

“You have to work. I think we have a very young team in attack, we can do it better and we can improve.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Southampton – Paul Onuachu

After failing to score in his first 22 Premier League games, Onuachu has scored two goals in his last three games. Against Ipswich Town, in their last Premier League match, he competed in 27 aerial duels (winning 16), the most by a player in a Premier League match since the start of 2020-21.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth have the second-lowest aerial duel success rate in the competition this season (343/744 – 46.1%).

Bournemouth – Justin Kluivert

Only Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak have scored more Premier League goals away from home this season than Kluivert (nine).

The forward could become the first Bournemouth player to score in four consecutive away appearances in the competition, should he net here.

MATCH PREDICTION – BOURNEMOUTH

After beating Ipswich 2-1 last time out, Southampton are looking to win successive Premier League games for the first time since February 2022.

However, they have lost each of their last six home league games, conceding 22 goals in that time.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, are enjoying their longest ever unbeaten run on the road in the Premier League, winning four and drawing two of their last six away games.

Having lost just two of their first 11 Premier League meetings with Bournemouth (five wins, four draws), Southampton have now lost both of their last two against the Cherries.

Following their 3-1 win at the Vitality Stadium in September, Bournemouth are looking to complete the league double over Southampton for the first time, in what is the 15th different campaign in which they have met. They are strong favourites to do so.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Southampton – 19.9%

Bournemouth – 57.9%

Draw – 22.2%