One point. That is all Bournemouth need from their final two Premier League fixtures to secure European football for the first time in the club's 127-year history — and departing manager Andoni Iraola knows it would make for an extraordinary farewell.

Iraola, who joined the Cherries in 2023 as a replacement for Gary O'Neil and will leave when his contract expires this summer, was unequivocal when asked about the prospect. "It would be the best way to finish these amazing three seasons," he said. "Especially this year, it has been really challenging for me as a coach because we've changed the team a lot."

Where Bournemouth stand with two games left

Bournemouth sit sixth in the Premier League table with two matches remaining, which currently places them in a Europa League berth. However, their final position in the European picture remains genuinely fluid. They are four points behind the Champions League places, and there is a scenario — should Aston Villa defeat Freiburg in the Europa League final and finish fifth in the league — where sixth could be sufficient for Champions League football next season.

At the other end of the European spectrum, the Conference League remains a possibility if results elsewhere shift. The permutations are complicated, but the headline figure is simple: one point from two games locks in European football of some description.

A 16-game unbeaten run and a remarkable season

The context behind that target is striking. Bournemouth are currently on a 16-match unbeaten run in the top flight — the longest of any side in the Premier League this season. Their last defeat came on 3 January, away at Arsenal. Since then, the south-coast club have not been beaten in the league, a run that has carried them into genuine European contention.

That sequence is all the more notable given the club sold their then-top scorer Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City during the January transfer window. The forward will return to the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday (19:30 BST kick-off) as City, chasing the title, visit for one of the more unusual sub-plots of the final week of the season.

Iraola acknowledged the tension of the run-in despite sitting so close to the target. "We are really close, but there is a big difference between being really close and getting it and grabbing it," he added. It is the kind of measured caution that has characterised his tenure.

The final two fixtures

  • Tuesday 19:30 BST — Bournemouth vs Manchester City (Vitality Stadium)
  • Sunday 16:00 BST — Nottingham Forest vs Bournemouth

Manchester City arrive needing points of their own in the title race, which removes any suggestion of a low-stakes dead rubber. Bournemouth then travel to Nottingham Forest on the final day.

For Iraola, who has overseen a significant evolution in the club's playing style this season — his own words — the arithmetic is simple even if the nerves are not. A side that has never graced European competition in over a century could be doing exactly that next August. The market has taken notice accordingly.

Whatever happens over the next six days, Bournemouth's season already represents a significant achievement. But Iraola, clearly, wants to finish the job.

Frequently asked

What do Bournemouth need to qualify for Europe?
Just one point from their final two Premier League games — at home to Manchester City on Tuesday and away at Nottingham Forest on Sunday — is enough to guarantee European football next season.
Have Bournemouth ever played in European football before?
No. In 127 years of existence, Bournemouth have never competed in European club competition. Qualifying this season would be a historic first for the club.
Why is Andoni Iraola leaving Bournemouth?
Iraola's contract at Bournemouth expires at the end of this season and he will not be renewing it. He joined the club in 2023 as a replacement for Gary O'Neil and has spent three seasons in charge.