There was an inflatable miniature plane bobbing around the Bournemouth away end and, for long periods, their unlikely Champions League dream was on. The Europa League will have to suffice. Andoni Iraola, whose name was serenaded on loop approaching the final whistle, will exit the stage having led Bournemouth to sixth, their best finish, a record points tally of 57 and having secured European football for the first time in their history. It doesn’t sound too bad.
Bournemouth’s result at Nottingham Forest was quickly rendered redundant by Brighton imploding at home to Manchester United but Aston Villa’s shock win at Manchester City and Liverpool’s failure to beat Brentford denied Iraola the perfect ending. This draw at Forest, who led through a Morgan Gibbs-White free-kick, does mean Bournemouth completed the second round of fixtures unbeaten, a run that goes back to the tail of last year.
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