Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola on Cherries 1-2 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates
03/05/25
Emirates Stadium, London, UK
03/05/25
Emirates Stadium, London, UK
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00:00The first ever league double over Arsenal for AFC Bournemouth, he must be over the moment.
00:11Yes, obviously.
00:13These wins in these stadiums against these opponents is always an extra, apart from the three points.
00:20But it's true that in this moment of the season they are even more welcome.
00:26We've used this before the game with the players, we didn't get any points.
00:31We never get any points here, basically, not even one.
00:35So it was definitely a good moment to have the first win.
00:39You must be particularly proud of the manner in which you did it, coming from behind,
00:44obviously trailing at half-time and getting those two to win the second half.
00:50Yes, I was quite pleased with the performance in the first half.
00:53I think we had a very good first 15 minutes, very good last 15 minutes of the first half.
00:58Arsenal had their one spell in the middle that they used to make the difference.
01:03But I was quite happy with the performance.
01:06We were having the ball a good amount of time and we were having not a lot,
01:11but some clear chances both from Evan Nilsson.
01:14And in the second half I think we've pushed a little bit more.
01:17We've also used very well set plays.
01:21This time sometimes we lose points because of this.
01:24This time the throw in the corner I think are key things, you know,
01:28that in these high-level games they have to go to your way.
01:33And I'm also happy for this year.
01:36You said a couple of weeks ago that you felt you hadn't been getting the rewards
01:40from set pieces that perhaps you deserved.
01:42But obviously it's come up from us today.
01:44Was that an area that obviously happened in the reverse picture
01:47to score the corner against Arsenal?
01:49Yes, we've had, I think, quite clear chances lately.
01:53I remember the Palace, the Dink challenge, quite good options from set plays.
01:59But it's true that last games we haven't scored any, you know,
02:02and in this moment of the season every detail,
02:05the first long throw we scored this season and one very long throw.
02:10And are things that have arrived today and definitely a good moment.
02:16And the three changes into the starting to the XI, Araujo starting,
02:22perhaps a bit of a surprise.
02:24What was the thinking behind those three changes?
02:26Araujo, I think he has been training well.
02:30Obviously he's coming from a surgery, from a muscle injury.
02:33But we needed his speed because Martinelli is one of the fastest players
02:39probably for the league, no?
02:41And he's always a threat in behind.
02:44And I think Julian has controlled quite well that situation.
02:48It was probably not easy to leave Antoine out
02:51because he was coming, I think, from good games.
02:53But I felt that we needed something from the bench in the second half.
02:59And we needed the work from Taf, from Dango, from Justin there behind Van Nilsson.
03:08And it has worked. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
03:12Yeah.
03:13Are you a fan of VAR now?
03:15He didn't rule out the goal.
03:17Yeah, I think they were checking offside, no?
03:19First, they were checking offside.
03:21And I checked, I said, oh, I think it's not offside.
03:23I've seen the play, it's offside.
03:25And then the passes, and then two minutes.
03:27No, checking, I said, no.
03:29And luckily for us, it wasn't.
03:32We were even asking no.
03:34They were grabbing Van Nilsson.
03:35But this time they haven't overturned anything.
03:39Does it feel a bit like justice because VAR didn't intervene last week
03:43and overturned the red card against Van Nilsson?
03:47No, we've definitely, if you've seen our games, it's not justice.
03:53We've been, the stats, we've been, without the VAR, I don't have the standings.
03:59But I would like to know where we will be without the VAR, yes.
04:02Can I just ask about the set pieces?
04:04You said they were both planned.
04:06The long throw is something from the history of English football.
04:10We don't see it much now.
04:12But you obviously think it's valuable.
04:14I think we have two players, no, that can have this kind of long throw.
04:18It's Antoine and James Hill.
04:20We've considered this season against Brentford and against Ipswich.
04:24And we haven't scored, but it's something that is uncomfortable to defend.
04:30You cannot do a lot.
04:32And when you can see this kind of goals, it's like, you don't like it.
04:37And they do it, and we've tried to encourage, especially Antoine,
04:41to use his long throw-in.
04:44And we don't have a very tall team, but it's true that we have Dean
04:47that is obviously a good aerial threat and has helped us today, yes.
04:53You've beaten teams this season at grounds like St. John's Park, Old Trafford,
04:59and now here at the Enron's.
05:01How do you think your team has been able to deliver these fantastic performances
05:06against top away environments?
05:08I think it's something that we've improved this season.
05:10In the summer, I remember we were talking, no,
05:14that probably we didn't get the results against top teams that we should get
05:20past season, and this season has happened the opposite.
05:23I think there are points that probably you don't expect,
05:25and it's a big plus, especially in this moment of the season
05:30that we are really close to the end.
05:32It doesn't get easier for us.
05:34We play Villa next, we play Man City next.
05:36We need to get points from difficult places, and today we did it.
05:46Before this game, Arsenal had dropped 18 points from winning positions.
05:49When you go in at half-time and you're a goal down,
05:51when you know that Arsenal are sometimes frailer from winning positions,
05:55that gives you encouragement into the second half
05:57that you can turn the score around?
05:59No, I think Arsenal is the best defensive side of the league.
06:05Without the ball, they are the best.
06:08You know, you don't get a lot of chances against Arsenal normally.
06:11You can see the numbers of everything.
06:13The goals conceded, the chances conceded.
06:15It's difficult.
06:18That's why the two, three chances you have,
06:22I was regretting the two for Evan Nilsson, the header,
06:26the one who tries to chip Raja.
06:28He had, I think, Justin quite open.
06:30And I was thinking it's difficult to get another
06:33this kind of two, three chances so clear, no?
06:36But I think now has been by set plays.
06:41But I think Arsenal are very good.
06:44They continue in very good.
06:47They are doing an amazing season,
06:49and I hope also Wednesday they go ahead.
06:52You said lucky for you on the VAR this time around.
06:55Have you had a chance to see it back yet?
06:57Because the replays do seem to show that the ball
06:59might hit Evan Nilsson's arm.
07:01I haven't seen it.
07:02No, I've checked straight away, quickly,
07:04to check because they were checking the offside.
07:06I've seen it.
07:07It's not offside.
07:08Because I didn't celebrate,
07:10now I don't celebrate goals.
07:11I wait.
07:12But it's true that after they will check,
07:14it doesn't look offside.
07:15But this time the VAR,
07:20obviously there was not clear evidence.
07:23We were also complaining that they were grabbing Evan Nilsson
07:26just in case.
07:27But we haven't seen it.
07:28Did you talk to the players this week about
07:32Bournemouth's record at Arsenal?
07:34No, this week.
07:36I talked before the game today because I didn't know it.
07:38I didn't know it.
07:39I sometimes tried to see the news,
07:42not trying to guess the line-up of Arsenal
07:44or trying to guess something.
07:46You see and say,
07:47we've never got a point and we've talked before,
07:49but I don't think it has been nothing.
07:52Sometimes we talk about these things,
07:54but no definitely a reason for anything.
07:57So you've mentioned it in the team?
07:58Yes, yes.
07:59Also, did you expect Mikel to make a few more changes?
08:03I was hoping he made a few more changes,
08:06but it's true that we have not been lucky,
08:09I think because United,
08:11between the two games of the European semi-final,
08:14I think they put the strongest 11 against us the other day.
08:18We missed in the 96 minutes two points
08:20and today it has happened very similar.
08:23I know sometimes you expect...
08:25I knew that they were going to go strong,
08:27maybe two, three changes,
08:30but it's true that they've gone really strong, yes.
08:35Last one up there.
08:36And Don, you have a question for you.
08:37You lost against Arsenal,
08:38I think, 4-0 one of your first games at the moment.
08:40Yes.
08:41Now you win at the Emirates.
08:43I mean, does that epitomize for
08:44how far your progress came in,
08:45like, less than two years?
08:47Yes.
08:48I've said it past season.
08:50Past season I think the team that was better than us
08:53in both games was Arsenal.
08:55I think we lost here 3-0.
08:56We were a little bit better here,
08:57especially in the second half,
08:58we were close,
08:59we scored a disallowed goal,
09:01but especially the first game we played there,
09:03they were much, much better than us.
09:05And I think we've not reduced the gap,
09:09we've scored plays,
09:12things that you need against these teams
09:15because you are not going to have a lot of chances
09:18and have gone to our way this season.
09:21But for me,
09:22it's not the most difficult place to come,
09:25the second most difficult.
09:26It's a very difficult team to face,
09:29even now that we've won.
09:30Is he one of your proudest moments as a former Premier League?
09:33I don't know.
09:35We've had good wins.
09:37With Bournemouth, with Rayo,
09:38I think we've had good wins,
09:40but it's definitely something that you will not forget
09:45because to win this kind of stadium is not easy.
09:48I think it's the second game they lose all the season
09:51in the Premier League here,
09:52so it's very difficult.
09:55And the final one then?
09:57Evan Nilsson, I believe he's gone into double figures
10:00in the league this season.
10:01I think that takes him to 10 goals, 12 goals overall.
10:04That's some return for him coming in this season
10:07and also missing a few games for injury.
10:09Yes, Evan has been very good since the beginning.
10:11At the beginning, he was playing very well.
10:14He was probably not scoring the goals,
10:16but we were very happy with him.
10:17He's someone who today also,
10:19we've used him in the link-up play,
10:22playing a little bit lower than other days.
10:24He's good there covering for the ball,
10:27finding the wingers after.
10:30He was also regretting the couple of chances he's got
10:33in the first half,
10:34especially the one who plays too cheap.
10:36The header was maybe more difficult,
10:38but if he plays well, it's what we ask.
10:42If he scores, much better,
10:43but for me the key is that he helps us without the ball,
10:47in the movement behind the defenders,
10:52I think he's doing well.
10:53Perfect, thanks a lot.