Bournemouth news: Opinion – Mark Mitchener on emotions of 2024-25

Emotionally, the 2024-25 season has been a rollercoaster.

Having lost star striker Dominic Solanke to Tottenham mere days before the start of the season, few foresaw Andoni Iraola’s side picking up even more points, and scoring more goals, than in the Spaniard’s debut campaign in 2023-24.

The Cherries even unearthed their own galactico in teenage defender Dean Huijsen, rapidly elevated to the Spain national team before a £50m move to Real Madrid beckoned.

It was a season of outrageous late comebacks, befitting a team who scored more goals in stoppage time after the 90th minute (nine) than any other.

The gung-ho late smash-and-grab at Ipswich. Evanilson’s 96th-minute equaliser at Villa Park with the last kick of the game, denying Villa two (retrospectively) priceless points. And the unbelievable heist at Goodison Park, trailing 2-0 going into the 87th minute and coming away with a 3-2 victory to surely win Bournemouth the Premier League’s ‘Most Improbable Comeback’ award for the third successive year.

Dragons were slain. The previously unconquerable Manchester City were finally beaten as the sides met for the 21st time in league football. Arsenal were beheaded twice, both at Vitality Stadium and in a maiden victory at Emirates Stadium. Manchester United were routed 3-0 at Old Trafford for the second successive season.

Indeed, the Cherries were only beaten by more than the odd goal three times all season – two of which were to champions Liverpool.

Then there were the hat-tricks…

Read below for the final part