'Every point you get is expensive but we are in a good place'

BBC News

15-04-2025

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It was a big win. We needed to win this game and I am very pleased with how we won. Especially defensively because that is what has kept us out of the points lately and a clean sheet against a team like Fulham is very important. We defended really well, still created our chances and scored our goal."In the last few weeks we have conceded a couple of set plays and poor goals to concede that we hadn't been conceding all season. In the last few games the opponents were scoring two goals and when you concede two goals it is very difficult to win a Premier League game.On the half time change: "Now we have centre-backs available it is always a difficult decision. Marcos [Senesi], Dean [Huijsen] and Zaba [Zabarnyi] have all been performing so well this season so it was hard to leave Zaba out. I thought the game was good for Marcos, he is very good in the press and the build up and dealing with players between the lines. After the yellow card I did not want to take any risks."On matching last season's points tally: "It is one of the goals that we have. We have the first chance to beat it against Crystal Palace on Saturday. It is not going to be easy, every point you get is expensive but we are in a good place."With his eighth goal of the Premier League season, Bournemouth goal-scorer Antoine Semenyo has now matched his best-ever return for a single league campaign, level with his tally for the Cherries last season and also 2021-22 with Bristol City in the Championship.