Bournemouth will offer Slot’s men their toughest test so far

MR CONSISTENCY: Dean Huijsen had to bide his time to break into the Bournemouth starting XI but has proven his worth since doing so. Pic: Mike Hewitt/Getty

BOURNEMOUTH fans would have forgiven their side, had they come away from their trip to Newcastle empty-handed last month.

The Cherries have a lengthy injury list that saw them travel to St James’ Park without a recognised striker, with Evanilson and Enes Unal sidelined. Lewis Cook, a central midfielder by trade, started at right-back in a mish-mash XI that, in theory, should have struggled at the in-form Magpies.

So to come away with all the spoils in a 4-1 win at Newcastle is one of the most impressive results of the season. The sight of Milos Kerkez, visibly exhausted with his hands on his knees before making a lung-busting run to add Bournemouth’s fourth in the 95th, effectively summed up not only the club’s fitness levels, but their mentality too.

To then follow up that victory with a 5-0 mauling of Nottingham Forest, a Forest side that had shipped just 22 goals in 22 games prior to their trip to the south coast, has seen praise deservedly heaped upon head coach Andoni Iraola. Last Saturday’s victory leaves Bournemouth just one point off the top four. They’re now unbeaten in 11 in the Premier League; only Liverpool (18) and Arsenal (13) are presently on longer streaks.

For 10 of those games, Iraola has relied upon the youngest centre-back pairing in the league. Marcos Senesi limped off in the 4-2 win over Wolves at the end of November, and the Argentine won’t return until March following surgery. Last season, that would have been an issue. This time around, Bournemouth were prepared for the eventuality.

Bournemouth signed Dean Huijsen from Juventus over the summer in a move that took many by surprise.

Huijsen stood out in the second half of last season at Roma and it had been anticipated he’d slot back into the Old Lady backline with ease.

Nevertheless, Juventus elected to sell the Amsterdam-born defender, and their loss is very much Bournemouth’s gain.

Of course, Huijsen had to bide his time to break into the Bournemouth starting XI. Iraola had an established centre-back pairing of Senesi and Illia Zabarnyi, and it has taken a serious injury for that partnership to be broken apart. Huijsen has stepped in to fill the void at the heart of the defence, and looked a seasoned pro in the process, rather than a centre-back who doesn’t turn 20 until April.

At the grand old age of 22, that leaves Zabarnyi as the elder statesman in this backline, and both players are fulfilling their duties with a level of experience that very much belies their tender years. Key is the proactiveness to their defending that enables Bournemouth to repel threats. The Cherries boast the sixth-lowest possession return (46%) in the Premier League this season, so on average will see less of the ball in games.

This does mean that Bournemouth face a higher number of shots in the Premier League, with their average of 13.7 shots conceded per game ranking seventh. As such, Iraola needs his centre-backs to often be in the right place at the right time to alleviate pressure on the goal to ensure this number is not higher. It’s no coincidence then that Zabarnyi (115) and Huijsen (74) rank third and 15th respectively for total clearances of players aged 23 and under in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

The willingness to get the ball clear by hook or by crook means that Bournemouth have conceded just seven goals in the last 10 league games that both centre-backs have started together. In that time, Iraola’s side have claimed
notable results, including wins over Tottenham and Manchester United, and the aforementioned victories over Newcastle and Forest.

Huijsen’s fine reading of the game is also a key reason behind the defensive resolve. The teenager is prepared to step forward to pre-emptively snuff out threats and set Bournemouth on the front foot, and it’s no surprise to see the summer signing rank second behind Harry Maguire (2.4) for interceptions per 90 (2.1) in England’s top tier this term.

Factor in the fine distribution between the pair — Huijsen ranks third for accurate long balls by outfield players per 90 (4.4), a metric Zabarnyi (3.7) places 10th for — and it’s easy to see why both young centre-backs work well as a partnership, and in the system Iraola has implemented. Considering the lowly possession return, Bournemouth need their defenders to get the ball forward quickly to hit teams on the break. While they have scored just four counter-attacking goals in the Premier League this season, it’s not for want of trying, with the south coast side ranking fourth for shots attempted following a counter attack (29) in the division.

However, this centre-back partnership will be put to the test today. Bournemouth welcome Liverpool to the Vitality Stadium as both sides look to maintain their respective unbeaten runs. The Reds recently ended one lengthy undefeated streak, defeating Lille in the Champions League last week, and they’ll be confident of ending another at a relatively happy hunting ground; they have won five of their last six trips to Bournemouth.

Arne Slot’s side rank top for goals scored (54), shots per game (17.8), and second for possession (58.3%). Bournemouth, though, may just prove their toughest test of the season so far as they come up against one of the Premier League’s best centre-back partnerships.