To think 15 years ago, Bournemouth were losing 1-0 at Dagenham & Redbridge in League Two on this corresponding weekend. Now they are cursing Manchester City for winning to deny them fourth position in the Premier League.
Football, eh?
They would take fifth, for that is set to be enough to qualify for the Champions League come the end of the season, thanks to UEFA’s coefficient system.
The prospect of ‘Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Lazio or Roma’ rocking up at the Vitality Stadium — as their supporters were singing here at St Mary’s — would make those miserable trips to Dagenham East underground station entirely worthwhile.