Bournemouth have provided Andoni Iraola with the perfect parting gift after securing European qualification for the first time in the club's history.
The Cherries have embarked on a remarkable run of form in 2026 which has catapulted them into the Premier League's top six.
Alarm bells were ringing for Iraola's men during the festive period as they went through 11 matches without a win, but despite the sale of the talismanic Antoine Semenyo in January, Bournemouth's form has taken a sharp upwards trajectory since the start of the calendar year.
A battling 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest extended Bournemouth's unbeaten run to 18 matches in the Premier League, a sequence of results that includes eight victories and 10 draws.
The Dorset club triumphed over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in that period, along with notable successes at home to Liverpool and away at Everton and Newcastle United.
Interestingly their form hasn't buckled since Iraola announced he will be departing the Vitality Stadium at the end of the season and his group of players have been determined to end his tenure on a high with the lure of European football now secured.
A sixth-placed finish has secured UEFA Europa League football as new Bournemouth manager Marco Rose takes charge for the 2026/27 campaign.
When did Bournemouth last lose a Premier League fixture?
Bournemouth's last defeat in the Premier League was at home to Arsenal on the 3rd January.
The Cherries had gone in front courtesy of Evanilson but were pegged back by Gabriel Magalhaes' header as the two sides went into the half-time interval level.
A brace from Declan Rice in the second half gave the Gunners a two-goal cushion and although Eli Junior Kroupi chipped away at the deficit, Mikel Arteta's men held on to extend Bournemouth's winless run to 11 matches.
Four days later, a 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur thanks to Antoine Semenyo's last act marked the turning point of Bournemouth's season, with the Cherries yet to taste defeat in the subsequent 15 Premier League fixtures.
Bournemouth's 18-game unbeaten run:
- Bournemouth 3-2 Tottenham
- Brighton 1-1 Bournemouth
- Bournemouth 3-2 Liverpool
- Wolves 0-2 Bournemouth
- Bournemouth 1-1 Aston Villa
- Everton 1-2 Bournemouth
- West Ham 0-0 Bournemouth
- Bournemouth 1-1 Sunderland
- Bournemouth 0-0 Brentford
- Burnley 0-0 Bournemouth
- Bournemouth 2-2 Manchester United
- Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth
- Newcastle 1-2 Bournemouth
- Bournemouth 2-2 Leeds
- Bournemouth 3-0 Crystal Palace
- Fulham 0-1 Bournemouth
- Bournemouth 1-1 Manchester City
- Nottingham Forest 1-1 Bournemouth
