Bournemouth

Tom Gayle
Match of the Day commentator at the Vitality Stadium

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I don't think I was alone in considering Bournemouth's deadline day signing of Veljko Milosavljevic as 'one for the future', given he is just 18 and had a mere 27 senior appearances for Red Star Belgrade.

Football moves quick.

Because Bournemouth didn't want to take any risks with Bafode Diakite, who I was told was not 100%, the stage was set for Milosavljevic to become the club's youngest player - and the youngest Serb - to start a Premier League match.

Andoni Iraola's response when I asked him pre-match if Milosavljevic was ready to play at this level was: "I'm not sure." The honest answer will have come from only having worked with the teenager for a couple of days as a result of him being away with Serbia Under-21s.

After Saturday's 2-1 victory over Brighton, the answer in the short term is an emphatic yes.

The biggest praise has to be for his mentality. The only visible sign of nerves was the slightly awkward pre-game dressing room photo posted on Bournemouth's social media, external.

As for his performance, I wouldn't go as far as saying he is the complete package of a modern, ball-playing centre-back yet, but he was more than comfortable playing out from the back and slotted in perfectly alongside Marcos Senesi.

Clearly the quicker of the two centre-halves, Milosavljevic was more effective in dealing with Brighton's pace in behind. He can do the ugly stuff too. Despite his boyish looks, Milosavljevic more than held his own when dealing with the physicality and guile of the experienced Danny Welbeck.

Described as "one of the biggest talents in Serbian football" by media in his homeland, I'm reluctant to add to the hype train after a sample size of one Premier League game.

I'm more inclined to echo the more measured assessment of match-winner Antoine Semenyo when I asked him about his new team-mate's debut: "Solid - did everything right. A great start for him and many more to come".

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Sam Ashoo
Final Score reporter at Vitality Stadium

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If it wasn't already clear that Bournemouth are a good side, it should be now.

Their flair and creativity, coupled with a high press and ability to counter-attack, make them a great team to watch. But it is their defensive capabilities that could see them as serious challengers for a European spot this season.

And the addition of Veljko Milosavljevic only enhances that argument. The defender joined from Red Star Belgrade on transfer deadline day and is recognised as 'one of the biggest talents in Serbian football'.

After Saturday's performance against Brighton, it's no surprise why. The 18-year-old was unfazed by the occasion and dealt comfortably with Danny Welbeck and Georginio Rutter.

It poses an interesting problem for Andoni Iraola who had initially partnered Marcos Senesi and Bafode Diakite at centre-back before Diakite missed out on Saturday because of injury.

Iraola once again has solid options at the back and, having conceded just one goal in three Premier League games, the compact Cherries are going to be tough to beat.

Pundits Ashley Williams and Shay Given join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

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Adam Millington
BBC Sport journalist

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While this was far from a perfect performance by Bournemouth, there were clear moments of promise throughout.

Full-back Adrien Truffert, in particular, was impressive, darting up and down the left flank to keep Brighton out and provide another dimension up front.

Antoine Semenyo was his typical creative self, looking to work openings with the ball at his feet and being patient to release his team-mates at the right moments.

Despite being unable to keep what would have been a third successive clean sheet, there were positive signs of new signing Veljko Milosavljevic's talents as the defender added a clear touch of solidity to the Cherries' backline.

For the most part, Bournemouth were simply sharper, hungrier and more creative than their opponents.

There may not have been many similarities to their 1-0 win against Tottenham before the break - where Andoni Iraola's men tormented Spurs' defence and should have scored more - but they were once again a cut above their opposition and showed they are a well-drilled side.

A little more quality up front may have made victory more easy, but in the end it was not needed.

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side's victory over Brighton: "Very happy with the win because we value this win against a very good team. The game went some moments for us, for them. It was not clear what was going to happen at the end."

On Alex Scott's goal: "Alex has a very good right foot but it was a lovely finish. I am happy for him and the two players who made their debut [Veljko Milosavljevic and Alex Jimenez]. Difficult to play first game against Brighton and they did very well."

On Veljko Milosavljevic: "It was a difficult position because we like what we saw but he has played with us just three days. He has the rhythm and he comes in good form. Everything went well with him."

On strong start to the season: "It's a good start, its a good amount of points but still we have our moment's. We will make mistakes. We need to build still. Everyone is getting more minutes but every game is costing us a lot. We are managing well but if we don't keep the focus these small details can go the other way. We have to stay humble."

Did you know?

• Bournemouth have won three successive Premier League games for the first time since December 2024, while their nine points from their opening four games is their best ever start to a top-flight season

• Antoine Semenyo has both scored and provided an assist in a Premier League game for the very first time. Semenyo has been directly involved in seven goals across his past five league games (five goals, two assists), as many contributions as in his previous 18 appearances.

Hear more from Iraola and on BBC Sounds

Hear from Marcus Tavernier

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Bournemouth's performance

What did you make of Brighton's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Valjko Milosavljevic, who joined Bournemotuh on transfer deadline day, makes his first appearance as the Cherries make two changes from the side who beat Tottenham 1-0 before the international break.

James Hill also comes into the starting line-up, while Bafoda Diakite and Adam Smith are absent.

Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Truffert, Senesi, Brooks, Scott, Evanilson, Adams, Tavernier, Hill, Semenyo, Milosavljevic.

Subs: Dannis, Araujo, Cook, Soler, Gannon-Doak, Kluivert, Jimenez, Adli, Kroupi.

There are also two changes for Brighton, who beat Manchester City 2-1 in their last Premier League match.

James Milner, who scored a penalty in that victory, comes into the starting XI, as does forward Georginio Rutter.

Carlos Baleba drops to the bench, while Diego Gomez is absent.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Dunk, Van Hecke, Rutter, Minteh, Hinshelwood, Welbeck, Milner, Mitoma, De Cuyper, Veltman.

Subs: Steele, Gruda, Tzimas, Watson, Baleba, Boscagli, Kadioglu, Ayari, Coppola.

There are eight games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

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Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

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Both these teams had really good wins before the international break.

Bournemouth only beat Tottenham 1-0 but they absolutely hammered them, and could and should have scored more goals.

Brighton's victory over Manchester City was different in that they nicked the points late on - Erling Haaland was my Fantasy Premier League captain and he could have had a hat-trick for Pep Guardiola's side - but that was still an impressive result.

When I did my research for these predictions, I was a little surprised that the Seagulls did the double over the Cherries last season, winning 2-1 home and away.

I don't think Bournemouth will end up empty handed this time, though. I am going for a draw - an exciting one, not a boring one - on the south coast.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport journalist

A south-coast derby between Bournemouth and Brighton, two sides who have bounced back after sluggish starts to the season.

After losing four of their first-choice back five over the summer, there was a lot of scrutiny on Bournemouth's new-look defence in the opening match of this campaign.

It didn't get off to a good start with a defeat by Liverpool, in which the Cherries conceded four goals and faced 19 shots, 10 of which were on target.

However, anyone who saw the match will know it was a more encouraging display than those stats suggested – and that has been borne out in their subsequent two league games.

Bournemouth were the only Premier League side to keep clean sheets in both the second and third matchdays, and faced both the fewest shots (11) and the fewest shots on target (two) in that time.

But on Saturday they are up against Brighton, who have won five of the past six league meetings between the sides and took all six points last season, in which they eventually finished six points and one place ahead of Bournemouth in the table in eighth and ninth respectively.

After going winless in their opening two games of 2025-26, the Seagulls thrashed Oxford United in the EFL Cup and then came from behind to beat Manchester City, and they will be hoping that the international break hasn't curtailed that momentum.

One man whose momentum shows no signs of slowing is evergreen midfielder James Milner, whose equalising spot-kick against City made him the oldest penalty scorer ever in the Premier League.

Brighton have scored a penalty in four of their past six Premier League matches, while in 2025 they have netted nine goals from the spot – four more than any other side – so 39-year-old Milner could well get a chance to extend his own record before too long.

• Hear more from Milner speaking to BBC Radio Sussex before the game against Bournemouth

Sean Byrne
BBC Sport researcher

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brighton at Vitality Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On when Lewis Cook will be able to return to action: "He has been training with the team a little bit, but he's probably not 100%. We need to see after training how he feels."

• On Adam Smith's injury: "He has a suspected hamstring injury and he will be out a few more weeks."

• On the rest of the teams news: "We are waiting for more situations with the internationals, but I want to see how they are, how they recover as we don't know yet what level they are at."

• On deadline day signing Veljko Milosavljevic from Red Star Belgrade: "He is someone who is very young, just turned 18. He has some experience in the Serbian league. He is physical and tall, a centre-back. He has been with the Serbia Under-21s, but I like his character and he is ready to learn. I am happy with the signing."

• On how he has found the international break: "International break is a strange two weeks. We have two weeks to prepare things. We have seven or eight main players some of the days - you can focus on individuals and improve their game. But overall it is hard to prepare for the game. We only have three days with the players who have been away, but it is the same for everyone so no complaints."

• On contract extensions for players such as Antoine Semenyo and David Brooks being delivered over summer: "Very good news, for them personally and especially for us, the club. We are very happy with them - they are very valuable for us and it's always good."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Former Bournemouth defender Joe Partington spoke to BBC Radio Solent about David Brooks' new contract: "It is amazing news. In the summer, everybody was probably anticipating that Bournemouth needed a replacement - it is very easy to see from the early stages of the season the influence he has on and off the pitch. For the supporters, it is a really good move.

"Clubs have to protect their assets, and they have some really talented players that others would want to take. It is a very strong group of players there and it has been reflected in the results so far this season.

"It is an exciting time to be a Bournemouth player and supporter."

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth's attacking winger David Brooks has signed a new deal to keep him at the club until 2029.

The 28-year-old has made 151 appearances for the Cherries after signing from Sheffield United in 2018.

Brooks has scored 22 times for Bournemouth and started all three Premier League matches of this season.

"I'm delighted to sign a new deal," he said. "The past seven years have come with some ups and downs - of course nothing to do with the club - but I've really enjoyed being here and I'm looking forward to the years ahead.

"I think my standout moment so far has to be making my Premier League debut. That's every young boy's dream and I got to fulfill that here, so now I hope to push forward and make more memories."

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport senior journalist

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With the transfer window closed, fans' attention turns to players already under contract at their club - and especially to those in the final year of their current deals, who will be able to openly speak to other clubs from January, and leave on a free transfer next summer unless they re-sign.

Bournemouth have managed to tie one such player, versatile defender James Hill, to a new deal stretching until 2029, leaving Marcos Senesi, David Brooks and Adam Smith as the three remaining first-team players only contracted until the end of 2025-26.

Cherries captain Smith will be 35 by the time that contract expires, and having not taken previous opportunities to move away, looks likely to see out his career at the Dorset club.

But Bournemouth will be keen to persuade Senesi and Brooks, two of their more impressive performers in the opening games of the season, to extend their stays.

It is easy to forget how centre-back Senesi was an automatic choice for two years until he was injured last season, and unable to regain his place because of the meteoric rise of Real Madrid-bound Dean Huijsen.

Meanwhile, it is seven years since Brooks was among some star-studded nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year award after a sparkling debut Cherries season in 2018-19. It has been a long road back for the Warrington-born Wales winger who missed most of 2019-20 with injury, and later spent nearly 18 months out of the game after being diagnosed with cancer.

Brooks told BBC Radio Solent at the end of last season that he might have to consider his options if he continued to struggle for playing time, but took a starring role in their last game at Tottenham, up against new England recruit Djed Spence.

Like Hill, midfielder Marcus Tavernier has put pen to paper until 2029, though he was already under contract beyond this season.

The elephant in the Vitality Stadium on the subject of contracts, however, is the situation of head coach Andoni Iraola, whose deal is also up next summer.

President of football operations Tiago Pinto told Sky Sports last week that the club were hoping to tie the much-admired Iraola to an extended contract. Now that really would be Bournemouth's most important signing of the year.

Sam Davis
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth's start to the season has been excellent, accruing six from nine available points. While the Carabao Cup saw an early exit to Brentford, the Premier League campaign has provided a lot of excitement and optimism, and there have been a few different elements that are starting to entwine nicely.

Our first concern was the defence. With four out of the five backline being replaced, instilling defensive solidity was always going to be a challenge for Andoni Iraola and his coaching team; therefore, a 4-2 loss to Liverpool might well have been concerning, despite the performance the Cherries put in.

However, the subsequent two 1-0 performances, home against Wolves, and then away against Tottenham Hotspur, will have pleased him massively - indeed, there was high praise amongst many Cherries fans after the showings from Adrien Truffert, Bafode Diakite and Djordje Petrovic.

Another worry was how the dynamic of the existing squad might possibly change once the new additions had fused in; however, so far, the signs have been excellent. David Brooks feels like a player reborn, Tyler Adams is imperious in the middle of the park, Marcos Senesi has been quality, Alex Scott is showing a glimpse of the quality that many a football fan observed at Bristol City, and Evanilson is making those intelligent runs and is now up and running in the goal-scoring charts too.

After the International break, the next thing I'd like to witness is some positive showings from the new signings Ben Gannon-Doak and Amine Adli, as well as returnees like Eli Junior Kroupi. While we have seen flashes of all three already, seeing them seamlessly integrate on the pitch would feel like another piece of the puzzle was complete for AFC Bournemouth this season.

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Defender James Hill says Bournemouth feels like "home" after signing a new deal with the club.

The 23-year-old has extended his stay by another four years having signed a contract until 2029.

Hill joined from Fleetwood Town in January 2022 and, having also spent time on loan at Hearts and Blackburn Rovers, has made 28 appearances across all competitions for the Cherries, providing one assist.

He has featured in all four matches so far this season as the England under-21 international looks to try and establish himself as a regular under Andoni Iraola.

"I'm absolutely buzzing to put pen to paper," Hill told club media.

"Ever since coming to the club when I was 19-years-of-age, I've felt that this place was home.

"It's not just the players inside the club that have made me want to stay, but the fans as well, I've felt really welcomed since the first day I stepped through the door.

"I'm happy to continue and I can't wait to get started for the next four years.

"It's really exciting here. Every day we're developing, learning and it's such a young and hungry group that, going into every game, there's a possibility to win.

"We go into every game thinking that we can win and that mindset in the changing room in terms of wanting to get better and wanting to push as a group is really exciting."

Image source, Getty Images

Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier says he is "delighted" after signing a contract extension over the weekend, keeping him at the club until 2029.

The 26-year-old winger joined the Cherries in the summer of 2022 for about £10m and has made 93 appearances, scoring 13 goals.

His initial deal ran until 2027.

"I'm very grateful for everything Bournemouth have given me over the past few years," Tavernier told the club's official website.

"I'm just delighted they've shown their appreciation of me to sign a new extension and to stay at this club where I'm having such a great time.

"It's a place I've come to love and it's my home away from home, so it's a really good feeling, not just for myself but my family as well."

Bournemouth's president of football operations, Tiago Pinto, added: "Marcus is a player who always gives his all whenever he wears the shirt and is someone that we thoroughly enjoy working with.

"He is a popular character within the dressing room and I'm looking forward to seeing his leadership shine through over the next few seasons at AFC Bournemouth, as the demands and challenges of the Premier League remain high."

Image source, Getty Images

The dust has just about settled on a busy transfer window for Bournemouth.

In total, the Cherries brought in seven players for a total of about £117.9m based on reported initial fees.

Those incomings were:

• Bafode Diakite - Lille (permanent)

• Djordje Petrovic - Chelsea (permanent)

• Ben Gannon Doak - Liverpool (permanent)

• Amine Adli - Bayer Leverkusen (permanent)

• Veljko Milosavljevic - Red Star Belgrade (permanent)

• Adrien Truffert - Rennes (permanent)

• Alex Jiminez - AC Milan (loan - obligation to buy)

Heading the other way, Bournemouth had 14 notable outgoings.

These included loans for Max Aarons to Rangers and Luis Sinisterra to Cruzeiro, while there was also the permanent exits of Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Illia Zabarnyi to Paris St-Germain, Milos Kerkez to Liverpool and Dango Ouattara to Brentford.

Of all the summer incomings at Vitality stadium, who do you think will have the biggest impact?

Rank them here

Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

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Football is a sport which lends itself to endless debate: best player, best goal, and now somewhat inevitably, "who has won the transfer window?".

While such artificial contests are not easily quantifiable, the mood around Bournemouth is generally positive after a summer in which they have banked more money than all but one of their Premier League rivals.

Forced to restock their defensive unit after losing key men to Europe's elite, the Cherries have also brought two wingers in while another two have departed, but they have also been quietly clearing the decks on the fringe of the squad.

While the departures of Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi created the most column inches, and the fee paid by Brentford for Dango Ouattara raised the most eyebrows, many others have brought down the curtain on their Cherries careers in less eye-catching ways.

Hamed Traore, who never quite nailed down his best position in Andoni Iraola's system, has played his last game in a Bournemouth shirt, leaving via the "loan with obligation to buy" route, as has the injury-prone Luis Sinisterra.

Philip Billing, Joe Rothwell, Chris Mepham and Jaidon Anthony were all deemed surplus to requirements and departed for fees, while Neto and Mark Travers moved on in an overhaul of the goalkeeping ranks, and young striker Daniel Adu-Adjei made a shock switch to Croatia.

An expected departure which fell through was midfielder Romain Faivre, who reportedly rejected the advances of Verona and several Championship clubs. The Frenchman now appears to be the odd man out at Vitality Stadium, likely to receive little in the way of playing time unless injuries strike.

Six other players left on loan, notably Max Aarons who has already endured a difficult start to his year at Rangers, sent off as they crashed out of the Champions League, while in his absence the arrival of Alex Jimenez leaves Aarons as Bournemouth's fourth-choice right-back at best.

Alex Paulsen, Ben Winterburn and Daniel Jebbison were all loaned out to gain experience, as were development squad defenders Max Kinsey and Archie Harris who both made the Premier League bench last season.

Harris, on loan at Eastleigh, was taken to hospital on Tuesday evening after a clash of heads caused their National League match with Scunthorpe to be abandoned in stoppage time. Eastleigh later reported that he was "conscious and talking". We wish him well.

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Bournemouth's new defender Alex Jimenez is an "interesting player" but unlikely to be a regular starter, according to Italian journalist Daniele Verri.

The 20-year-old joined the Cherries on transfer deadline day on loan from AC Milan and will be guaranteed a permanent move to the Premier League if he starts 18 games this season.

"I've always thought he was a good player but he may be a bit confused on the pitch," Verri told BBC Radio Solent. "He's not very tidy in what he does technically as well as tactically so, he will need to be calmed down by his new manager.

"But he's got personality with the ball at his feet. The first few times I saw him play I thought he really had something and that this could be a good deal but it depends on him and how he develops.

"He had a clash with the manager [Massimiliano Allegri at AC Milan] in the last few days [of the transfer window] so I don't think there was room for him.

"I think it's going to be tough for him to be a regular starter at the beginning. It really depends on how he develops. I don't think he'll be a regular starter from the off.

"Andoni Iraola must know him. As a Spanish manager, he will know the player as he's played through the national teams and he must think he can do well."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

Sam Davis
Fan writer

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It has been a challenging summer for Bournemouth, with various key players moving on - but, overall, the club will be happy with their business and the huge profit that was made in the process.

After such an impressive campaign last time, it was hardly surprising a few key members from the side were 'cherry picked' by some of the biggest clubs in world football. The fear for many Bournemouth fans was how they would reinvest in their backline, after losing four of last season's back five in the summer.

Kepa Arrizabalaga's loan ended with a move to Arsenal, therefore Djordje Petrovic was brought in between the sticks, and the early signs suggest that this may well be an upgrade after all.

Bafode Diakite was the big signing from Lille to address the centre-back headache, and Adrien Truffert was a left-back replacement for Milos Kerkez - both of whom have fitted in seamlessly so far.

Both Amine Adli and Ben Gannon-Doak are exciting signings in the forward area, but the main positive was keeping hold of the main man, Antoine Semenyo - even tying up a new contract for the Ghanaian powerhouse.

Clearing some of the fringe players was equally important to Bournemouth, and the club addressed this perfectly on the whole - plus, with Veljko Milosavljevic and Alex Jimenez becoming two more defensive additions, that makes seven new recruits, with more than double that number departing, and over a £100m profit made!

It may take time for a slightly fresher group to adapt to Andoni Iraola's style, but if it pays off then it really is an impressive window. Departures were expected, but overall the club has moved swiftly and completed some top business again.

A solid 8/10 window.

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