Bournemouth Week in Review, Monday 26th October: Cherries Stun AC Milan Then Thump Manchester United 3-0
What a week to be a Cherries fan. Bournemouth produced what's being called one of the best nights in the club's history by beating AC Milan 3-0 in the Europa League at Dean Court, with Justin Kluivert, Marcus Tavernier and Amine Adli on the scoresheet and Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan sent off along the way (The Sun) (The Sun) (Daily Echo) (Sky Sports). The win continued Bournemouth's perfect start to their first-ever European campaign and had pundits and former players lining up to hail the result as proof of the Premier League's strength over its European counterparts (Sky Sports) (BBC Sport). Football365 pointed out just how far the club has come, noting Bournemouth were in League One when Milan were last conquering Europe (Football365). Manager Marco Rose said he was delighted with how his side "suffocated" Milan and gave them nothing, while also vowing the Cherries will "stay humble" despite the result (Daily Echo) (Bournemouth Echo). Amine Adli described it as a "special night" and Justin Kluivert said the squad "know what we're capable of" (AFCB.co.uk) (AFCB.co.uk). There was local flavour too, with Bournemouth mayor Roberto Rocca backing the Cherries despite his family's Milan allegiance, and even the Prime Minister offering support ahead of the game (BBC Sport) (Bournemouth Echo) (Bournemouth Echo). BBC Sport also revisited the story of how Italian inspiration gave Bournemouth their famous red and black stripes over 50 years ago, adding extra meaning to the occasion (BBC Sport). Off the pitch, Dorset Police confirmed the match passed off without incident, and the club revealed it had spent half a million pounds on south stand investment to meet UEFA requirements (Bournemouth Echo) (Bournemouth Echo).
Just days later, Bournemouth backed up that European heroics with an outstanding Premier League away day, beating Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford (Bournemouth Echo) (Bournemouth Echo). It continued the club's strong recent record at the Theatre of Dreams, something Rose had highlighted before kick-off as he urged his players to show him "how it works" to get a result there (Bournemouth Echo) (Bournemouth Echo). After the game Rose said his side were "brave" and that "we were just Bournemouth today", while also praising Evanilson as "relentless" and "so important" to the team (Bournemouth Echo) (Bournemouth Echo). There was a mention for Rayan too, with Rose hailing his display as "his best game so far" after he got on the scoresheet (BBC Sport). Eli Kroupi Junior, back in training after injury, featured as Bournemouth played their 350th Premier League game, with fans and pundits getting excited about his return (Bournemouth Echo) (Bournemouth Echo) (BBC Sport) (Bournemouth Echo) (AFCB.co.uk). On the Manchester United side, the defeat piled further pressure on manager Michael Carrick, with captain Bruno Fernandes dropped from the squad and reportedly critical of the tactics after a heavy midweek defeat, while United fans were seen turning on players during the game (Sky Sports) (The Sun) (Football365). Bournemouth fan voice Henry Chung told the BBC he was "buzzing" after the win, having earlier said ahead of the Milan game that he had "never been so proud of Bournemouth", recalling the club's difficult days facing liquidation (BBC Sport) (BBC Sport).
Looking ahead, attention turns to the visit of Brentford, with academy figure Alan Connell previewing it as a "tough test" (AFCB.co.uk). Before that, Bournemouth owner Bill Foley made headlines by declaring his ambition to bring Champions League football to the south coast and gave an update on Alex Scott's situation, while also naming the Cherries as favourites heading into the Milan game (talkSPORT). There was also a reminder of the depth of the club's history from former goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, who offered his take on the world's top shot-stoppers amid the ongoing Jordan Pickford debate (talkSPORT).
Away from the first team, Bournemouth's under-18s were preparing for a trip to Birmingham, with James Lowy hoping the young Cherries can maintain their momentum (AFCB.co.uk). There was also a reminder of the club's community reach as Bournemouth's rugby side battled back from 13 points down to beat Old Alleynians 33-32 in Regional 1 South Central (Bournemouth Echo). Behind the scenes, the Echo reported that costs for the planned north and east stand extensions at the Vitality Stadium have doubled, leaving the club weighing up its options (Bournemouth Echo), though there was better news on match-day finances, with food and drink sales surging and further fan experience improvements said to be in the pipeline (Bournemouth Echo). Fans heading to matches were also warned of local disruption, with an A338 road closure near the stadium delayed until after the Milan game to ease the impact on traffic (Bournemouth Echo).
Finally, a campaign group has launched a petition calling on the club to refuse a fixture against Beer Sheva, a story the Echo will no doubt continue to follow in the coming weeks (Bournemouth Echo).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.