I’m so proud of them.
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They are now just two points behind the champions.
“The manager’s key to that, that’s why he’s going to be one of the best managers in the country”.
Federici came off at half-time in last week’s thrilling 3-3 draw against Everton at the Vitality Stadium, with Allsop making his first league appearance of the campaign as his replacement.
And Howe said: “It must rank as the best individual result in the club’s history”.
Bournemouth have struggled to find any consistency since arriving in the Premier League over the summer, but a spirited performance last time out saw them secured a dramatic 3-3 draw with Everton.
“And we’ve talked about that all season, trying to score more goals from corners and set pieces where you need to scramble out a 1-0 win and that’s how it worked out in the end. It was more hard for us but we hung in there and didn’t concede which was crucial”.
Howe said: “Whenever you get injuries, it is a test and a challenge for your squad to adapt and I think we have done that with the outfield positions. We did that and I am sure that will be most pleasing for all of the lads”.
Goalkeeper Artur Boruc returned from a six-week injury lay off and denied Chelsea time and again.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho felt the Blues should have had a penalty before Murray’s victor when a Diego Costa cut-back hit Simon Francis on the arm. We come here and I don’t think we expect anything out of these games so we have done great. When he first came to England that was the thing everybody absolutely loved about him – his aggression, his will to win and I do not think that has changed.
“The Premier League, for me, has been about picking up points where you can and we have done it in style”, Howe said.
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Up next for Bournemouth is a home tie with Manchester United and after being the champions, Cherries fans will be hoping they can produce a similar result against Louis van Gaal’s men.
