Fast start augurs well for Andoni Iraola and the Cherries

Antoine Semenyo started the season with two goals in the opening game at Liverpool and has remained hot since then (Picture: AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

Bournemouth have rarely been considered anything other than mid-table Premier League lightweights at best and possible relegation candidates at worst until Andoni Iraola took over from Gary O’Neil just over two years ago.

The Cherries finished 15th in the 2022/23 campaign, just five points above the bottom three, but former Rayo Vallecano manager Iraola took them to 12th in his first year in charge and then ninth last term when they finished with a club record 56 points.

It appeared that would be as good as it gets when the south-coast club lost key players to three of the biggest clubs in the game in the summer with central defenders Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi joining Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain respectively and left-back Milos Kerkez heading to Liverpool and on-loan goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga returning to parent club Chelsea before crossing the capital to join Arsenal.

Having a defence ripped apart usually spells disaster and Bournemouth were 300/1 outsiders to win the title, 25/1 to finish in the top four, 9/1 to end the season in the top six and 11/8 to wind up in the top half.

Pessimists could have taken 10/1 for them to be relegated but they managed to stave off interest in attacker Antoine Semenyo and on Friday they moved to second in the standings after battling back from going behind to beat Fulham 3-1.

The 25-year-old London-born Ghana international Semenyo scored twice to take his tally for this term to six and he has been on the scoreboard four times in his last four games after bagging a brace in the opening day defeat at Liverpool.

Head coach Andoni Iraola is doing a sterling job with the Cherries (Picture: AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

Erling Haaland, the 2/5 favourite with Bet Victor, leads the race for the Golden Boot with eight but Semenyo appeals each-way at 18/1 with Sporting Index and SpreadEx . He scored 11 times in the top-flight last season and is now a far better player for the experience.

Bournemouth may lack the strength in depth to maintain their flying start and injuries to any of their regulars would be severely detrimental but an early exit to Brentford in the Carabao Cup means a light schedule and they can face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park with a high degree of confidence before Nottingham Forest visit the Vitality Stadium ahead of journeys to Manchester City and Aston Villa.

A top-four finish at 9/1 with William Hill and bet365 may be beyond reach and the Cherries are still 200/1 with Hills to be crowned champions and no better than 1/3 with Ladbrokes and Coral to finish in the top half.

But Bournemouth could profit from Palace, Newcastle and others being distracted by their European exertions and a finish in the top six with Betway is interesting at 5/2.

It’s just a couple of weeks until the Jacksonville Jaguars make their annual trans-Atlantic trip to Wembley and they intend to arrive as Super Bowl contenders by taking down the Kansas City Chiefs in Monday Night Football.

The Jags enter the contest full of confidence after compiling a 3-1 record but the Chiefs are making strides after a slow start and impressively beat the Baltimore Ravens 37-20 last weekend with quarterback Patrick Mahomes throwing four touchdown passes.