AFC Bournemouth roundup: Winless Cherries 15th as Brentford and Liverpool come calling

Three matches into the new Premier League season, AFC Bournemouth are still waiting for a first win. Two points from a possible nine is a modest return, but the detail behind them — draws against two sides currently in the top half and a one-goal defeat at the league leaders — suggests a team rather more competitive than a 15th-place standing implies.

Where the Cherries stand

According to the Premier League table, Bournemouth sit 15th with two points from three matches (won 0, drawn 2, lost 1), scoring four and conceding five for a goal difference of -1. They are level on points with Nottingham Forest in 16th, one clear of 18th-placed Aston Villa and two ahead of the pointless Fulham and Coventry City.

How the points have come

• Newcastle United 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
• AFC Bournemouth 1-1 Everton
• Manchester City 2-1 AFC Bournemouth

The draws came against opponents going well: Newcastle are sixth and Everton eighth in the table. The only defeat arrived at Manchester City, who top the pile on a perfect nine points, and it was settled by a single goal.

The numbers offer encouragement and concern in equal measure. Only nine sides have outscored Bournemouth's four goals, according to the Premier League table, while five conceded is the figure most in need of attention. Stretched across a full campaign, two points every three games would fall well short of the usual survival benchmark — the Cherries must start turning draws into wins.

What comes next

The fixture list offers little respite. Fifth-placed Brentford, unbeaten this season with five points from three, visit on Saturday 12 September (14:00 UTC). FanTribe's fixture data lists Bournemouth at 2.58 to win, the draw at 3.75 and Brentford at 2.82 — about as evenly matched as the market gets.

Liverpool, seventh and also unbeaten, follow on Sunday 20 September (13:00 UTC). FanTribe's data prices the visitors at 2.10, with Bournemouth at 3.35 and the draw at 4.0. Six points from those two home matches would transform the outlook; none would leave a winless September weighing heavy.

Around the coverage

In wider coverage this week, BBC Sport has been weighing up Bouaddi's first start for Manchester City, under the headline Bouaddi impresses on first start - have Man City found 'a gem'?.

On FanTribe

One note from our own numbers: FanTribe's club tracker currently shows 0 registered AFC Bournemouth fans. Cherries supporters are, in other words, under-represented in our community — if that is you, there has never been a better moment to sign up ahead of the Brentford match.