AFC Bournemouth are chasing an 18-game unbeaten finish as Alex Scott expresses his aim to cap a breakout season. With Europe in sight and a possible England spot available, the midfielder’s rise and key contributions from young talents are fuelling belief heading into a decisive final four games.
With just four games to go in this season's campaign, AFC Bournemouth are aiming to stretch their unbeaten run to 18 matches and go the remainder of the season without defeat, according to midfield maestro Alex Scott.
For Scott himself, this season has been a genuine breakout campaign, as the 22-year-old English baller has gone from a promising but injury-hit squad player to a near ever-present, high-impact starter in the Premier League.
He has seen a dramatic transformation - one where he has established himself as one of Bournemouth’s first names on the team-sheet in a competitive midfield, earning praise for his composure, ball-carrying ability, defensive work-rate, and creativity (earning him the nickname the “Guernsey Grealish”).
Action Images via Reuters/Lee SmithThe Cherries currently sit on a 14-game unbeaten streak with just four fixtures left to play, and those final matches see them face Crystal Palace, Fulham, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest - and Scott spoke to Alexander Smith in the Daily Echo about his desire to continue the good form.
Securing European football remains a key objective, and the prospect of completing nearly five months unbeaten is adding further motivation within the squad.
"We've been really good, 14 unbeaten, we can't complain of that. There have been tough games in that run as well. Unbeaten since I think the January 3rd, so yeah, it's very positive".
He continued: "We've got a few more games now, we'd like to go the rest of the season unbeaten. I think that would be brilliant. And yeah, keep competing and fighting and hopefully we can finish as high as possible."
Scott's longevity has been a key component in this positive run of results for the Cherries, playing over 2,500 minutes - a huge leap in reliability and trust from manager Andoni Iraola. He’s played over 75 minutes per match on average, showing he’s now a durable, 90-minute midfielder rather than a bit-part player.
Action Images via Reuters/Lee SmithHe's also added goal to his game too, something Cherries fans want to see more of, and he has overperformed or matched his xG (around 3.77), showing clinical finishing in key moments.
In his chat with Echo, he also has noticed the contributions from other young players in the squad, including Rayan and Junior Kroupi.
Teenage sensation, Kroupi took his tally to 11 goals for the season, while Rayan netted his third since January. Both players are just 19 and are expected to play a crucial role in maintaining the club’s unbeaten momentum.
"It's huge for them, it's huge for us. We need those players to score goals. They're both immensely talented footballers, so it's amazing to have them in the building and to have them out there to play in front of these fans, which I'm sure they enjoyed watching them play."
This weekend, the results largely went in Cherries' favour, as they currently six seventh in the league with just Brighton one point ahead of them in sixth. Whilst Brentford have the opportunity to overtake them, their next fixture is a tricky Monday night clash at Manchester United - so all eyes will be on Old Trafford to see where this puts AFC Bournemouth in the ever-interesting race for Europe.