Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has praised his side for once again securing their place in the Premier League for another season.
The Cherries have lost just two of their last 11 outings to keep them safe from relegation and leave them in the top half of the table ahead of Sunday's season finale against Leicester City.
Howe believes that the current campaign has been even more difficult than last season - their first in the top flight - but insists that his side were prepared for exactly that.
"It has been a good season to this point and we want to finish on a high if we can. Our end-of-season form has been very strong. The first year was tough, everything we expected it to be. The second season we felt would be different in many ways, potentially harder and I think that has been the case," he told reporters.
"I don't think there has been any surprises for us, the pitfalls of the second season have been there, but we have managed to control them and the players deserve a lot of credit for not letting standards drop. The work rate has been there and the attitude has been there. When those two things have been there then we are a very difficult team to play against.
"There have been several moments to look back on and it is difficult for me to really appreciate them in season, it is only when you sit back and reflect in the summer. The Liverpool games, home and away, were obviously big ones, they were special days for us, as well as beating Everton here, drawing with Tottenham here, which were not only great results but they were excellent performances. The draw at Old Trafford especially in the circumstances and how that point came about was also a heroic effort from the players."
Bournemouth only need a draw on the final day of the season to guarantee a top-half finish.
Barney Corkhill
