AFC Bournemouth were certainly the league’s brightest starters on the opening day of the season. It only took 26 seconds for Marc Pugh to open the scoring in an impressive 4-0 rout away from home against Huddersfield Town; a victory that resulted in the manager Mark Robins parting company with Huddersfield and sent The Cherries to the top of the table.

However the 1-0 win against Brentford the following weekend would be their last vicotry in the league, as the club have gone from maximum points in their first two games to no wins in the last five league matches.

Bournemouth are currently 15th in the table, with eight points from seven games. A 3-1 loss to managerless Leeds United in midweek saw the club leapfrogged by their opponents at Goldsands Stadium. However, despite the run of games without a win, Bournemouth are yet to fail to score in any match this season, averaging two goals per game in all competitions.

The Cherries recorded a tenth place finish in the 2013/14 Championship, the highest final position in the club’s history. They were also the only promoted side to stay in the league – following the relegation of both Yeovil Town and Doncaster Rovers.

A key part of their success was striker Lewis Grabban, who managed to score 22 of the club’s 67 league goals, in 44 appearances. His summer move to Norwich City will undoubtedly affect the club’s second season in the division – particularly as no other player managed to hit the ten-goal milestone; Yann Kermorgant and Matt Ritchie coming closest with nine goals each.

In order to counteract the loss of Grabban, manager Eddie Howe signed Callum Wilson from Coventry City for an undisclosed sum. The striker managed to net twice in his debut against Huddersfield and has gone on to score three more in all competitions, as he looks to improve on his 21 goals in League One last season. The acquisition of Wilson was only one of four purchases made in the transfer window, which saw the club also sign Dan Gosling, Andrew Surman and Junior Stanislas.

Bournemouth faced Watford three times last season, twice in the league, as well as in the second round of the Capital One Cup. The Hornets managed two wins and a draw out of the three matches, including a 6-1 victory at Vicarage Road in the Championship. The last time The Cherries managed to beat the Golden Boys was in March 1997; a 1-0 away win in what is now Football League One.

AFC Bournemouth XI vs Leeds United (16/9/14): Camp; Cook, Elphick, Harte, Francis; Fraser, Surman, Arter, Ritchie; Kermorgant, Wilson.