Bournemouth

We asked our Bournemouth fan contributor for their four player of the season choices and you can now vote for your top one.

Image source, Getty Images

Ryan Christie

In an outstanding season for the ever-energetic Christie, he has made himself one of the first names on the Bournemouth teamsheet. Previously deployed off the right wing, Christie was given a role centrally by new gaffer Andoni Iraola and he has taken to it flawlessly.

Lewis Cook

Classy, reliable and so consistent - Lewis could be considered the unsung hero of the side. The glue in the midfield. The man who makes the team tick, Andoni has made it clear Lewis is integral to how he wants the team to play.

Dominic Solanke

Fans' favourite Solanke has had a remarkable season, particularly in front of goal. One of the top goalscorers in the division with 19 league goals, Dom has been the Cherries' leading light up the top end of the pitch. His influence is always evident.

Illia Zabarnyi

The ever-present at the heart of the team's defence, Zabarnyi is already looking like a steal at about £20m. Still incredibly young but already a consistent leader at the back for the Cherries. The future for Illia looks bright.

Honourable mentions

There could be so many notable mentions after such a brilliant campaign, a testament to how good they have individually been, and these include...

Adam Smith - who has been so dependable.

Antoine Semenyo - a player who has made a constant impact in games.

Justin Kluivert - improved with every game in his first season, producing the numbers.

Marcos Senesi - a composed defender with an eye for a goal.

Pick your 2023-24 Bournemouth player of the season from our shortlist here

Tom Jordan can be found at Back of the Net, external

Despite a defeat in our final home game of the campaign, many Bournemouth fans stayed to applaud our new head coach Andoni Iraola for his achievements this season. After a sticky start, the new gaffer managed to steer the club to its highest ever points total in the top flight - a superb feat.

Then, on Monday, following the last home game the club then announced that Andoni had extended his contract with the Cherries, which was unsurprisingly met with delight amongst the fanbase.

Prior to the season, the decision to appoint a new head coach - one with no previous experience in England - was met with shock in many wider media circles. Many couldn’t fathom what more could possibly be achieved at our little club on the south coast, but Bournemouth fans were excited at a promised new brand of attacking football, and a plan to try and reach new heights.

It has certainly proved that the decision makers at the club were right in their thinking. The football has been exhilarating - a joyous concoction of thrilling chaos throughout a style that is easy for us to embrace and get behind. The club may lose some key assets, and we may yet still have somewhat of a ceiling, but one thing is for sure - under Iraola, we are heading in the right direction.

There will be bumps in the road and it’ll undoubtedly be a fun journey. Why stand still? Always advance, never retreat.

Tom Jordan can be found at Back of the Net, external

Image source, Reuters

A vast number of Bournemouth fans are resigned to losing some of their key figures this summer, including the likes of Euros hopeful Dominic Solanke - who would command a significant fee - and defender Lloyd Kelly, who is expected to leave on a free.

But if there was one that it was imperative the Cherries tied down, it was head coach Andoni Iraola. He has re-invigorated a club that had been at a crossroads.

His style of football and level of success in leading the team to a record Premier League points tally have rebuilt the connection with the fanbase, backed of course by the financial power of American owner Bill Foley.

Iraola is a humble, self-effacing individual. He is only comfortable operating on short contracts, because he presumably wants to operate with an edge, to drive standards high.

While Bournemouth fans would love him to have signed a four or five-year deal, that was never going to be something Iraola was comfortable with.

In fact, I know the Cherries were delighted to even get him to commit to two years when he first joined, so to extend that further sends the club into the summer with a real bounce.

We asked you for your thoughts on Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola signing a contract extension with the Cherries to keep him at the club until 2026.

Here are a selection of your comments:

Chris: Good news on the boss's contract extension. Shame it is only a year. If he keeps performing like this, interest from bigger clubs is inevitable so let's hope he is feeing a bond for the club and the fans and the ambition of the owner will match his own.

Martin: This is great news for us! If he continues this way for another season, it won't be long before one of the big teams will come knocking at our door for his services. Eddie Howe was a legend - Andoni is taking us to the next level!

Ray: Initially a lot of Cherries fans wondered whether it was the right decision to replace the previous manager but after a difficult start, Iraola has done amazingly well. His style of football has taken a while for the players to adapt to, but now it's paying dividends. With our biggest points total ever in the league, he fully deserves an extension.

James: Good news. Hopefully this allows for the progression seen this season to continue.

Tim: Great news. Iraola has transformed the way we play. Only wish it was longer!

After the news that Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has signed a contract extension to keep him with the club until 2026, we want to hear your views.

Are you happy with the new deal?

Will the Cherries be able to hold off admirers for the Spaniard?

Send us your thoughts

We asked for your views on Saturday's match between Bournemouth and Brentford.

Here are some of your answers:

Bournemouth fans

Simon: A typical end-of-season game between two teams with nothing to play for and ruined by an awful refereeing performance. If [Ivan] Toney gets in the England squad ahead of [Dominic] Solanke it will be a travesty. Solanke is all hard work and has added finishing and composure this season, Toney just sulked about adding nothing to the game.

Chris: Same old Bournemouth, lose concentration in the final 10 minutes. Thinking of the dressing room at 80 minutes.

Greg: Enjoyed the game today. Two decent sides, referee ruined the game. Bad decisions all game. Solanke looked sharp but Toney looked off the pace.

Brentford fans

Vince: Solid in defence but the game could have swung either way. It was a good win for the Bees. Respect to Bournemouth for their season.

Bill: Excellent well-taken goals that promise much for us offensively next season. Absolute stonewall penalty taken away from Ivan - who really needed to win and score that goal. We will be much better next year with a first choice defence as we have not had that all season and with Igor Thiago banging them in.

Stefano: Well done Brentford! Despite not playing with the panache they can display especially against “bigger” teams, this time they didn’t lose points from a winning position. Brentford have lost far too many this season, which has led to them ending this campaign far below last year’s position in the table.

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola says he is "proud" of his first season with the club after signing a contract extension.

Iraola joined the Cherries in June 2023 on a two-year deal following the departure of Gary O'Neil and the new agreement sees him commit to the club until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

"I'm very happy to sign the contract. For me, it is a matter of renewing the confidence from both sides," said the former Rayo Vallecano manager.

"We have had a good experience with our first season together in the Premier League, and I am happy that both sides want to continue the relationship further."

Despite a slow start in his first season in charge, Bournemouth have since registered their highest ever Premier League points total - currently sitting on 48 points with one game remaining.

"I'm proud that we achieved the points record. We are playing in a difficult competition, with very good opposition. The season started slowly, but I think we improved a lot and are playing in the right way," he added.

"We have to continue improving the team, because the level of the Premier League is really high, and I'm looking forward to working with Simon and the rest of the team over the summer to help us do that.

"I would like to thank the supporters for everything in our first year together. I am thankful that they were supporting us even in the beginning when we were not winning games, and that they have been very helpful to the players for the whole year."

Cherries owner and chairman Bill Foley said: "Andoni has made a huge impact since arriving at the club and we are thrilled to agree to this extension.

"We have achieved a club-record points tally in the Premier League thanks to a series of excellent performances and results from the team.

"The players have clearly bought into his footballing philosophy and our supporters have really taken to him. We look forward to continuing to work with him."

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's eight Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer here.

And you can watch highlights of Sunday's games on Match of the Day 2 here.

Also, listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries in full on BBC Sounds:

• West Ham United v Luton Town

• Nottingham Forest v Chelsea

Image source, Getty Images

Dominic Solanke had an eventful afternoon. The England striker had two goals ruled out, another one stand, and somehow ended up on the losing side.

There was a jubilant mood inside the Vitality when Solanke appeared to open the scoring in the 27th minute with a driven finish.

Indeed, the England striker was so confident his early goal would count he performed a pre-planned celebration - putting on an orange mask worn by the character Obito Uchiha in the manga series Naruto.

But referee Matt Donohue overturned his initial decision after consulting the pitchside monitor and spotting the ball strike the arm of Antoine Semenyo in the build-up.

He had another strike hit the net 10 minutes later, although the referee had already blown after he fouled Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer.

Solanke did eventually get his goal, and again donned his Naruto mask.

Bournemouth may have lost, but Solanke was the match's clear star.

When asked if the 26-year-old should make England's Euro 2024 squad Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola told BBC Match of the Day: "I don't know what more he can do.

"It is not just about the finishing, it's about everything else he gives to the team."

Andoni Iraola after Bournemouth's defeat to Brentford: "At the end you have lost the game and it is always ugly when you complain after you have lost the game. But the truth is, we should have been 2-0 up after the first half.

"Especially the first goal that VAR overturned, it was a rebound and he is not the one scoring the goal. According to the rules, it is not on purpose just a rebound and after the play keeps going there is a pass and another player scores and VAR to overturn it. I don't understand it.

"The second goal is obviously a big, big, big mistake. You whistle the foul, in two seconds there is a goal, and then you can see it in the replay there is no foul.

"Obviously you can't give the goal because you have whistled and that is a big, big mistake that has cost us a lot.

"It's true that he [the referee] makes his [Premier League] debut. He may be very good, we don't know the level. But obviously he has had a very bad game. I don't know if it was difficult but obviously he has not had a good first game.

"Probably he is a very good referee and after he makes good decisions and has a long career in the Premier League and referees for a lot of years. But it is true his first game was not good in my opinion."

On whether Dominic Solanke should make the England squad: "I don't know what more he can do. He is playing very well and he scored a great header today. But it is not just about the finishing, it's about everything else he gives to the team.

"I think he's very complete and I think he will be there. He has been really consistent and proven he is a very good player."

• Bournemouth scored just eight first half goals on home soil in the Premier League this season, with only Burnley and Sheffield United (both 7) managing fewer, though the pair both play at home on the final day of this campaign.

• Brentford are unbeaten across their past seven league games against Bournemouth (D2 L5), a run that directly followed on from a streak of failing to win any of their seven prior meetings between the two sides.

• Bournemouth have conceded 498 fouls in the Premier League this season, the most by any team in a campaign since Watford (517) in 2016-17.

• Despite winning 2-1 against Bournemouth, Brentford have now failed to keep a clean sheet across each of their past eight away Premier League games, the Bees’ longest such streak since a run of 19 matches between October 2021 and August 2022.

• On his 199th appearance for Brentford across all competitions, Bryan Mbeumo scored his 50th goal for the club. Meanwhile, Yoane Wissa’s strike, timed at 94:31, was Brentford’s latest winning goal in the Premier League since Ivan Toney’s goal against Manchester City in November 2022 (97:17).

Yoane Wissa scored a 95th-minute winner to help his Brentford side beat Bournemouth in a stunning finish at the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League.

Bryan Mbeumo played in substitute Wissa, who buried his finish from a tight angle to give the Bees just their fifth league win in 2024.

After an even first 86 minutes Mbeumo gave Brentford the lead as Wissa met goalkeeper Mark Flekken's long ball forward and set up his strike partner for an easy finish.

But fewer than three minutes later Dominic Solanke equalised, meeting Marcos Senesi's cross with a looping header.

Were you at the ground or following along from home?

Bournemouth fans, give us your thoughts on the game.

Tell us what you made of the performance, Brentford supporters.

Follow all the reaction here

There are eight Premier League games taking place today, and you can stay updated with all of them via our live page.

Keep up with all the action and reaction here.

Chris Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's matches, he takes on Kasabian frontman Serge Pizzorno.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Bournemouth lost to Arsenal last week but they still caused them a few problems.

You could see why the Cherries are on track for a top-half finish, but I don't think they will have things all their own way against Brentford.

Ivan Toney needs to find some goalscoring form if he is going to make the England squad for the Euros, but I am a fan of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, and the Bees always carry a threat.

Serge's prediction: 2-1

Every player is in their flip-flops for this game - no-one is too bothered about it - but I think Brentford might edge it.

Read all of the predictions here

Andoni Iraola has been speaking to the media before Bournemouth host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• On player availability: “Lloyd Kelly will play tomorrow. He has been involved in training normally so we have no concerns about this. We’ve recovered Lloyd, Tyler Adams and Marcus Tavernier will also be part of the squad."

• Iraola had doubts on if Chris Mepham's season is over or not: "He has improved, I've talked to him and he's feeling better. The season is finishing in seven or eight days so I don't know if he will be ready for the last game. He's improving and this is the most important thing."

• On being nominated for the Premier League manager of the season award alongside names Like Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta: "For me they are on a different level. They are fighting for titles and Champions Leagues, they have shown more things than me. It was one of the reasons I came here, to play against them and improve as a manager."

• More on his nomination: "It's good for me and I'm also happy for the club to receive this kind of recognition. It's not about the nomination, it's about the season. I've enjoyed it. Normally as a manager, enjoying a season doesn't happen a lot but I've been enjoying it with the players. They are the ones that deserve some recognition."

• On his opponents: "They are a very good team. It's going to be difficult. We are two teams that are not so different. They are also a pressing team and prepare set plays very well. Their transitions are very good. It's going to be difficult to impose our game, and the same for them."

• When asked about both club's strikers Dominic Solanke and Ivan Toney: "I think they are different. Toney is more like a number nine playing around the box, he's a very good finisher and gifted technically. Dom is very good technically, he loves to attack the spaces outside more. Dom could also play very well with another attacker, he has the technical ability to play deeper. They are both very good."

Image source, Getty Images

Nominees for the Premier League's manager of the season have been revealed:

• Mikel Arteta - Arsenal

• Pep Guardiola - Manchester City

• Jurgen Klopp - Liverpool

• Unai Emery - Aston Villa

• Andoni Iraola - Bournemouth

Voting is open now on the official Premier League website, external with the winner to be announced on Tuesday, 21 May.

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's game between Bournemouth and Brentford in the Premier League.

• Bournemouth are without a win in their past six league games against Brentford since a 1-0 win in the Championship in August 2014.

• Brentford have won their final away league game in each of the past three seasons and scored three goals each time – 3-1 v Bristol City in 2020-21, 3-2 v Everton in 2021-22 and 3-1 v Tottenham last season.

• Bournemouth have lost their final home league match in three of the past four seasons. They had only lost their final home game in three of the previous 33 campaigns before this.

• Brentford’s past two Premier League games have been a one-nil defeat by Everton and a 0-0 draw with Fulham. They have not failed to score in three or more consecutive league games since a run of four in March and April 2019.

• Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke has opened the scoring in nine different Premier League games so far this season - more than any other player. His goals have also been worth a league-high 15 points for the Cherries this term.

• Ivan Toney has failed to score in any of his past 10 Premier League games for Brentford. Only in his first 11 Football League appearances for Northampton in 2013-14 has he failed to find the net in more consecutive league games for a single team.

As Bournemouth's season winds towards its close, Arsenal became the latest team to do a seasonal 'double' over the Cherries - joining Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham - leaving December's hard-fought 2-2 draw against Aston Villa as the only league point the Dorset side have taken off a top-five team this season.

A lot has been written about the perceived harsh treatment from the officials, both on-field and at Stockley Park, during Saturday's game at Emirates Stadium.

It is safe to say that - when onlookers as firmly entrenched in Arsenal's corner as Ian Wright and Piers Morgan were tweeting that the penalty won by Kai Havertz should not have been given, with Wright adding that Bournemouth's disallowed goal "should have stood" - Cherries followers can feel a little hard done by.

A more level playing field is anticipated this Saturday when Bournemouth host Brentford – their fourth most frequent league opponents in their history – in a match which was a League Two fixture as recently as 2009.

Whilst the men's team's rise through the divisions since then has received many fanfares, Bournemouth's women deserve time in the spotlight after their astonishing season finished on Sunday.

Having risen from the ninth tier to the fourth tier of the women's football pyramid in less than a decade, the Cherries play in the FA Women's National League Division One South West.

They were locked in battle with Exeter City all season – to the extent that both sides were unbeaten when they met at Exeter on Sunday for a winner-takes-all game to decide the single promotion place.

Bournemouth finished the season with 19 wins, three draws, zero defeats and over 100 goals in 22 games. Their total of 60 points would have been enough to win any of the other three divisions at that level, but a 1-1 draw allowed Exeter to keep their noses in front and seal promotion.

The Cherries' challenge – and that of the men's team who are bidding for a top-half Premier League finish – is to be even better next season.

Or, as club owner Bill Foley would say: "Always advance, never retreat".

Newcastle United have reached an agreement to sign 25-year-old Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly. (Foot Mercado - in French), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column