Bournemouth

Before this season, Crystal Palace's victory at Wembley would have tidied up the European qualification position within the Premier League.

However, England gaining a coveted European Performance Spot has added a layer of complication, which is why Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth and Fulham fans should not give up hope of a Conference League place just yet.

Here is why.

Ordinarily, England gets four Champions League places, two in the Europa League, for the FA Cup winners and the fifth placed team and one in the Conference League for the Carabao Cup winners.

So far, so straightforward.

If the Carabao Cup winners qualify for one of the higher ranking European competitions, the Conference League spot goes to the next team down in the Premier League.

Just as Manchester United or Tottenham will qualify for the Champions League because one of them will win the Europa League after finishing outside the Champions League places, the same is also true for Chelsea if they win the Conference League and finish outside the Europa League places.

Still with me?

The complication comes through EPS. So, while fifth now gets you into the Champions League and sixth into the Europa League, for the purposes of competition qualification, the EPS situation doesn't count.

So, if Chelsea finish sixth and win the Conference League, without EPS, they would already be in the Conference League berth, so they go into the Europa League as Conference League winners and England would not take its Conference League place. With EPS added, instead of the sixth-placed team (Chelsea) qualifying for the Europa League through their league placing, because they are already in, the seventh-placed team benefits. So that would be three English teams in the Europa League and none in the Conference League.

By the same process, if Chelsea finish seventh and win the Conference League, without EPS, they would qualify for the Europa League despite being outside the European places, meaning three English teams in the Europa League – Chelsea, Palace and the fifth placed team – and one – the sixth-placed team – in the Conference League. With EPS added, everything drops down a place BUT as Chelsea are already in the Europa League, instead of the Conference League spot going to them after finishing seventh, it goes to the eighth placed team.

In other words, the teams battling for eighth need Chelsea to win the Conference League and to finish seventh.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Dean Huijsen swapping the Vitality for the Bernabeu, after Real Madrid activated the 20-year-old defender's £50m release clause.

Here are some of your replies:

Brad: I think this is a great result for the Cherries - huge profits! We have been great with our signings, such as losing Solanke only to break our league points record the next season after signing Evanilson. I have no doubts we'll bring in great talent yet again to replace Deano. Although, I will miss cheering his name at the grounds.

Roger: For the majority of Bournemouth fans, this is not a surprise. Dean has been outstanding for us all season and a wonderful talent, so he deserves his opportunity at Real Madrid. Thanks for everything Deano - you know we will miss you but we are wishing you every success.

John: He looked a natural defender from the moment he stepped out at Bournemouth. He showed confidence and vision beyond his age. He looks and plays like the late and great Bobby Moore!

James: Disappointing to see him go, however he wanted to go so it is always best to get the deal done and maximise profit. All of this is crucial in the days of PSR.

Robert: A real shame for us, as he is a great player, but a superb and well earned move for him. My stepson supports Real Madrid, so we will still support him!

Martin: I'm not a Bournemouth fan, but that is great business for them. Find a promising player at a low price, see them deliver and then make over £30m profit on them. They will be an interesting team to watch in the summer transfer window. If they spend the money wisely, they should get European football.

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth have confirmed defender Dean Huijsen will join Real Madrid at the end of the season after the Spanish giants activated his £50m release clause.

Huijsen, 20, made 30 Premier League appearances having signed for the Cherries for a fee of around £12.8m in July of 2024.

What do you think of the news Bournemouth fans? Is this super business or a frustrating day?

Tell us

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth will allow defender Dean Huijsen to join Real Madrid before the Club World Cup in June.

The 20-year-old has already been subject of a £50m club-to-club agreement and that deal will allow the one-time Spain international to debut at the newly expanded tournament in the United States.

However, Madrid are still looking to finalise terms over a five-year contract but plan to schedule a medical as early as next Tuesday should talks conclude this weekend.

Madrid also hope sign Liverpool's departing right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold for the Club World Cup but have yet to agree an early release from his contract at Anfield which officially expires on 30 June.

How Madrid won the race?

Madrid still have a little bit of work to do but Huijsen has given his priority to joining the 15-time Champions League winners and the remaining negotiations over personal terms are expected to be concluded.

They won the race against clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle in the Premier League - with Bayern Munich also known to have held an interest.

In Madrid, this victory would be seen as similar to the one that saw them win the race to sign Jude Bellingham from under the noses of then-reportedly interested clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool in 2023.

Negotiations have been led by CEO Jose Angel Sanchez and chief scout Juni Calafat.

Huijsen has been a club target since the age of 16, when he had a tour of the club's facilities with his former footballing father Donny, before opting to join Juventus instead.

Although a target before new manager Xabi Alonso's expected arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, the coach spoke to Huijsen on the phone and explained how he will fit into his expansive and progressive style of play.

There is also a financial package which multiple sources say is around £7.5m a year but could rise to over £9m based on performances.

Amsterdam-born Huijsen also said he simply "feels Spanish" before making his debut against the Netherlands in March.

Madrid see Huijsen as important for the short-term as they aim to win the Club World Cup this summer with him, Alexander-Arnold and Alonso all in place to boost the squad as Carlo Ancelotti departs for Brazil. They also believe he could be at the Santiago Bernabeu for the next decade.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, have always expected Huijsen to choose Madrid and are pleased that they won't have to see him line up for a Premier League rival.

They have been shocked that Huijsen, who initially joined as a back up option for Marcos Senesi, has adapted so rapidly to the English top flight and attracted such transfer interest so quickly.

But they also see it as a success that, having signed him for £12.6m from Juventus last summer, they can more than quadruple their money in less than 12 months.

Bournemouth have set a £45m price tag for their 21-year-old Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez, who is wanted by Liverpool. (iSport), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

In addition to Premier League manager and player of the season, the shortlist for young player has also been announced.

Chelsea's Cole Palmer is in the running to win the award for the second year in a row.

The 23-year-old forward has 15 goals and eight assists in 35 appearances.

Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch and Liam Delap, who has scored 12 of Ipswich's 35 goals, are also on the eight-player shortlist.

The other nominees are Anthony Elanga (Nottingham Forest), Dean Huijsen (Bournemouth), Joao Pedro (Brighton), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), and William Saliba (Arsenal).

Image source, Getty Images

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Tiago Pinto, Bournemouth's president of football operations, was crucial in the signing of Dean Huijsen.

The Portuguese joined the Cherries from Roma in 2024, where he was general manager.

He was key in landing Huijsen, having watched the former Roma defender on loan at the Stadio Olimpico that season.

Those with knowledge of the negotiations say Pinto knew he could exploit Juventus' need to sell players.

This is despite one source in Turin saying they thought Huijsen could become "world class" even when he started out in their academy teams.

Bournemouth ended up signing Huijsen for £12.6m, in a deal potentially rising to £15m.

After an injury to team-mate Marcos Senesi, Huijsen broke into Bournemouth's starting XI and hasn't looked back.

He was exceptional on his third Premier League start, scoring a towering header in a 1-0 win over Tottenham at Vitality Stadium in December.

He has since made his debut for Spain and been ever-present in Andoni Iraola's defence.

Once a move to the Bernabeu is completed, the Cherries will have quadrupled their initial outlay on the defender.

Real Madrid are willing to pay the £50m release clause to sign 20-year-old central defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth. (Sky Sports), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport senior journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The ups and downs of Bournemouth's season have been encapsulated by their past two games - with the highs of completing a league double over Arsenal contrasting with the lows of Saturday's defeat by Aston Villa which may have snuffed out a hope that would have been unfathomable until recently - a first tilt at Europe.

Indeed, with the Cherries' penultimate league game put back because of opponents Manchester City's participation in the FA Cup final, that European dream could be extinguished before Andoni Iraola's side next kick a ball.

Victory for Crystal Palace at Wembley on Saturday would remove the permutation of eighth place qualifying for the Conference League, but even if City prevail, a league win for Brentford on Sunday or Brighton on Monday would leave the Cherries with a mountain to climb when they visit City on Tuesday.

All this disappointment rather overshadowed a milestone reached against Villa when defender Adam Smith notched up his 400th Bournemouth appearance.

The former Tottenham right-back now stands sixth on the Cherries' all-time appearance list, needing seven more to match James Hayter and break into a "top five" also featuring Ray Bumstead, Sean O'Driscoll, Neil Young and Steve Fletcher.

Smith first joined on loan from Spurs for the 2010-11 season before moving permanently in January 2014, and his career has shown unusual longevity in the modern era, becoming the only player in Bournemouth's history to feature under seven different permanent managers (excluding caretakers).

Indeed, in the past six years the Cherries have signed four other, younger right-backs, all of whom might have been seen as a long-term replacement for Smith - but so far, he has "seen off" all four.

Jack Stacey signed from Luton in 2019 but left for Norwich two years ago, while Ryan Fredericks arrived with Premier League pedigree from West Ham in 2022 but departed last summer after an injury-plagued spell at Vitality Stadium.

Max Aarons came from Norwich in 2023 (effectively trading clubs with Stacey) but found himself out of favour and was loaned out to Valencia in January, while Julian Araujo signed a five-year deal from Barcelona last summer, but has had to be content with the role of Smith's back-up for now.

While Lewis Cook's versatility and ability to deputise at right-back has meant Smith has sometimes been sacrificed if Iraola is chasing late goals, he remains an important figure in the dressing room.

And whether or not their European chances come down to the last day of the season, with Smith and Cook having recently opened a barber shop together in Canford Cliffs, they will know all about how to cope with a close shave.

Image source, Getty Images

For the players and fans, Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi getting this injury in a situation where the offside flag should have been raised is so frustrating.

The frustration is when it is clear and obvious. Officials have been overseeing games for many years and they would always flag whether they were right or wrong.

Now technology has come into it, they are very reliant on VAR to make the right decision, the factual decision, about an offside. But, I think when an offside is so clear and obvious, it should be the duty of the assistant referee to put their flag up and stop play from the off.

When it is marginal, I understand we are a bit more hesitant when there are really fine margins, and we have seen those fine margins when goals have been given and it is a toenail to keep them on-side. I would understand it from that point of view, but it was on the halfway-line where the offside happened on Sunday, only for play to be allowed to continue.

It has been a matter of time. It has been a time bomb waiting to go off for somebody to get seriously injured. Awoniyi is the one that has got that injury - that horrific injury - because of it. Some will say it is only the first time it has happened in the duration of this rule, but it should never happen. That is how players will be looking at it, how fans and managers will be looking at it and saying 'it should never happen'. We should not wait for something to happen to reassess rules like this.

I don't like the ruling of it - it is on the halfway-line, it is clear and obviously offside, everybody in the stadium could probably see it. It should be for the assistant referee to make the decision. There are small margins in the box, I understand why they are a bit hesitant, but in open play, if somebody is sprinting, you could cause hamstring, quad, and all types of muscle injuries.

I am totally against this rule of waiting to put up the flag and I think most players and managers are as well. It's disappointing. I think it's a rule that nobody likes, and I'm sure in the summer off the back of this injury, one that will probably be reassessed.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Dean Huijsen dreams of joining Real Madrid, but Premier League trio Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are prepared to trigger the defender's £50m release clause to get the deal done this month. (Fabrizio Romano, external)

Meanwhile, Manchester United have held talks with Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo, 25, over a possible move from Bournemouth. (Talksport, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Sam Davis
Fan writer

On Saturday, Aston Villa secured all three points at Bournemouth in a game dubbed as "must win" by both sets of supporters. The result means we are possibly resigning ourselves to the realisation that this season probably has come too soon for European football.

As fans, we're always wary of the rollercoaster ride that football brings. We've experienced a multitude of emotions during this season. It has been a campaign that has seen the club break records in the league, plus we secured another FA Cup quarter-final appearance too, however, naturally - we always have the intrusive thoughts about "what if".

Indeed, the European dream isn't even over, and perhaps securing an improbable result against Manchester City might cause Bournemouth fans to dream again, but chances do now feel slim.

Andoni Iraola's job at Bournemouth has been nothing short of remarkable, but with players set to depart and an influx of summer signings that will have to learn the "Iraola" way of playing, there is a thought that maybe we have blown our chance.

As the club gets "bigger", we are aware that Bournemouth's conveyor belt will move faster than ever in terms of incomings and outgoings, and that is testament to the job that the manager is doing. But how do we know that we can replicate this synergy in the next campaign?

Truth is, we'll never know, and as fans, all we can do is trust the process. It's a process that has seen us entertain on the pitch, develop a brand new training facility, as well as the promise of stadium expansion too.

The future is bright at Bournemouth, so while a defeat by a resolute Villa may cut deep right now, the overall picture has not changed - Cherries are still on the rise.

Find more from Sam Davis at Back of the Net, external

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth captain Adam Smith's 400th appearance for the club ended on a bitter note as they lost 1-0 to Aston Villa.

The defender stated that he didn't really care about the milestone as much as he would have liked to win against Villa.

"Maybe it's something I will look back on as an achievement once I've retired but now, just so disappointed with the game really," Smith said to BBC Radio Solent.

"Obviously, it's nice for my career that I've done that but I'd rather win today, to be honest. Kind of spoilt my weekend.

"I am just taking game by game and hopefully we can finish the season strong and I can enjoy my summer and celebrate with my family."

Tell us how you would sum up Smith's 400 games with Bournemouth

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans

Sam: Credit to Villa - they kept us quiet, created chances and deserved to win in the end. I was hoping we might nick a goal but not to be. Here's hoping Europe is not a step too far as ultimately for all the good results, it would end up being a disappointing season considering where we have been in the table at times. Come on Cherries, let's attack these final two games with all we have got and then what will be will be. At least we could end the season knowing we have given it our all.

Peter: Just one question - how on arth did Tyrone Mings get away with that elbow? Blatant violent conduct - straight red card.

Kevin: Bournemouth couldn't get into any rhythm, Villa did a great job stopping Bournemouth attacking. They deserved the win.

Tim: Possibly Bournemouth's worst display of the season. Passes went astray, dead ball situations wasted and, until the final 10 minutes, an untypical lack of urgency.

Aston Villa fans

Jonny: Matty Cash stole man of the match with that goalline clearance at the death. He performed admirably, shutting down Bournemouth's attack all game. Ollie Watkins taking Gabriel Agbonlahor's record is an achievement well earned by his time at Villa. One step closer to the Champions League!

Simon: Substance over style. The points are more important than the performances at this point of the season. So pleased for Ollie Watkins getting our Premier League goals record.

Ian: Great three points for the Villa after a very hard fought game against a very good Bournemouth side. We defended very well and could have had another couple of goals. A vital win and two more to go that hopefully will see us back in the Champions League.

Rob: Great three points for the Villa. Very hard fought game against a very good Bournemouth side. We defended very well and could have had another couple of goals. Vital win, two more to go, which hopefully will see us back in the Champions League.

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Defeat ended Bournemouth's five-game unbeaten run and checked their rise up the table.

The hosts were limited to a few half-chances for the first 80 minutes but then sparked into life, creating a hatful of opportunities once Aston Villa were reduced to 10 men.

Of all their late chances, Bournemouth will especially rue not putting the ball in the net with almost the last kick of the game when Martinez got a crucial touch on Semenyo's header and Matty Cash managed to clear from under his own bar with Daniel Jebbison lurking.

It meant the Cherries stayed 10th, two points behind Brentford in eighth place.

They have lost five of their last seven Premier League home games (W1 D1), with their previous five defeats at the Vitality Stadium coming over a 25-game spell (W13 D7).

Eighth will be enough for a European spot this season if Crystal Palace lose in the FA Cup final to Manchester City.

Bournemouth are at Manchester City in their next match on Tuesday, 20 May, before hosting already-relegated Leicester City on the final day of the season.

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola speaking to BBC Match of the Day after their 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa: "I think the game has gone more similar to the one they wanted to play. I think in the first half it was a lot of stop and go and not a lot of rhythm. It hasn't been enough for us. Overall I think they managed better. We haven't been able to punish them.

"We need to manage the small things better. It is a very experienced team and probably they have competed better than us. For us the situation changes. Now we are behind some teams and we have to wait on some results and make sure we recover and finish the season well.

"We want to be in this fight and we have to continue. We don't know where we are going to finish but we have to keep going."

On Adam Smith reaching 400 games: "We are talking about big numbers. You have to be here in the good moments, bad moments. Adam trains very well and the players who get these numbers, it is not just a coincidence."

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth have lost five of their last seven Premier League home games (W1 D1), with their previous five defeats at the Vitality Stadium coming over a 25-game spell (W13 D7).