Andoni Iraola tells Bournemouth to ‘enjoy today’ after latest memorable victory
Forest were well beaten on the south coast.
Bournemouth may be on the brink of the Champions League spots but boss Andoni Iraola is still refusing to look at the Premier League table.
Bournemouth comprehensively won the battle of the European gatecrashers as a hat-trick from Dango Ouattara and strikes from Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo demolished Nottingham Forest 5-0.
The free-flowing Cherries are now on the cusp of joining Forest among the top four.
But Iraola insisted: “The best thing is to enjoy it. Enjoy today. You can look at the standings but that will not give us anything.
“We have to take it game by game. You can enjoy every week. That’s how we should focus.”
Bournemouth went ahead after only nine minutes when Kluivert collected the ball his own half and strode forward.
The Dutchman – brimming with confidence following his hat-trick in the 4-1 win at Newcastle last weekend – was allowed to get to within 20 yards of goal and pinged a superb shot low beyond the dive of Matz Sels.
In the 55th minute the Cherries doubled their lead in style.
A clever chip from Milos Kerkez sent Kluivert scampering down the left, and when he reached the byline he clipped the ball to the far post from where Ouattara looped his header back across goal and over Selz.
Moments later Kluivert had the ball in the net again, but a VAR check showed Ouattara was offside as the duo played a one-two inside the box.
But they did move three ahead within a minute when Ouattara chased Tyler Adams’ beautifully-weighted pass, coolly turned inside centre-half Murillo and clipped the ball home.
Ouattara completed his hat-trick by prodding in number four after Sels spilt Marcus Tavernier’s drive, and Semenyo threaded the fifth into the far corner in stoppage time to wrap up another statement win for the surprise package from the south coast.
“I think it’s a great result,” added Iraola. “A very good performance. The key was to score first – they have been winning all their games from the first half so to be ahead and make them change their approach was key.
“I think Forest are having an amazing season, even after this result they are four points ahead of us.
“But I will not going to change our approach and not look at the standings. Let’s keep doing the same things.”
Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo was left shellshocked by his side’s display.
“I think it surprised everybody, especially the way we started the game. It was bad, from beginning to end it was a bad day,” he said.
“We need to realise how we do things, how we play football. We shouldn’t allow so many spaces to quality players. The moment we lose that aspect of the game it becomes much harder.
“We have to look at today and make sure not to repeat it again. It must be a warning to everybody. The players, the staff and the fans.”
