Bournemouth’s recent run has given Amine Adli and James Hill plenty of reasons for optimism, with the pair pointing to confidence, collective effort and improving performances as Marco Rose’s side build momentum.
Adli made a memorable contribution in the 3-0 Europa League victory over AC Milan, scoring a superb free-kick late in the game after Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier had converted first-half penalties.
The Moroccan described his strike as the best goal of his career and revealed that he had been working on the technique in training.
“In the last week I have been working on it,” Adli said. “Today when the foul happened, I asked to shoot and Rayan and Lew (Lewis Cook) were very kind to let me shoot.
“I just tried to focus and put the ball in the top corner and luckily today it went in, so I am very happy.”
The goal was especially satisfying after Adli missed the start of the campaign because of a pre-season injury. He said he was pleased to be back and wanted to keep improving his confidence as he returned to regular involvement.
“For offensive players, when we deliver, we feel more confident and happy,” he said. “For sure it was not easy to get injured in pre-season and miss the start of the campaign, but I am happy to be back.”
Adli also recognised the significance of Bournemouth’s European performances for supporters, particularly against a club with Milan’s history.
“We need to keep the momentum going,” he said. “The last three wins in a row are very nice, for sure the confidence is back and growing, it’s good to play like this.”
That confidence carried into the Premier League, where Bournemouth followed their European victory by beating Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford.
Hill played the full 90 minutes in Manchester, helping Bournemouth secure another clean sheet as goals from Rayan, Tavernier and Evanilson sealed an emphatic result. The defender was delighted with the collective effort, especially given the demands of a packed schedule.
“It was a really special performance,” Hill said. “Coming here and getting three points is hard for any team.
“But for us to come here and keep a clean sheet as well and score the three goals, credit to all the team today, they were brilliant.”
Hill said Bournemouth had concentrated on their own performance rather than the difficulties facing United. The visitors pressed with purpose, competed across the pitch and made the most of their opportunities.
“We’ve been really good recently and we’re pleased with our clean sheets recently. We were outstanding to a man,” he said.
The win at Old Trafford was Bournemouth’s fourth victory during an 11-day spell that also included European commitments. Hill said the players had embraced the schedule rather than allowing it to become an excuse.
“We have had lots of games recently but we wouldn’t want it any other way, it’s been an incredible journey,” he said.
He added that Bournemouth had been unfortunate during parts of the early season but believed their work was now beginning to show.
“Things are starting to click under Marco and we have momentum now. It was only a matter of time.”
For Adli, the challenge is to maintain his fitness and turn a spectacular goal into a platform for further contributions. For Hill, defensive consistency and the team’s collective attitude remain central to the progress.
Their comments reflect a Bournemouth squad increasingly confident in Rose’s approach, with the AC Milan and Manchester United victories offering two different demonstrations of its potential.