THERE was a strong sense of déjà vu at Vitality Stadium when West Ham took a 1-0 lead five minutes into the game.

Cherries were once again caught short at a set-piece, Michail Antonio unbothered by a red and black shirt as he headed home from a corner.

Aside from the punishment of going behind, it was a warning of what was to come. Shortly before the break, Hammers flung in another corner, Cherries just about dealing with the initial cross.

That was not enough, as Declan Rice again found plenty of space in Cherries’ box to power home his side’s third.

It was a miserable afternoon that saw common themes of this campaign rear their ugly heads. Poor defending at set-pieces, and an inability to convert sustained possession into clear cut chances.

Sides that are competent enough at attacking set-pieces can get their goal, and then sit back and watch Cherries struggle to carve them open.

Five times this campaign Cherries have let in two goals from corners during a game, 10 times total they have conceded multiple goals from set-piece situations.

To their credit, they have improved in recent weeks - after the dismal display against Crystal Palace that saw two corner goals, Cherries went seven games without allowing another, defending 48 corners succesfully.

That run was ended by the onslaught at Arsenal, the Gunners eventually converting two of their 17 corners.

20 times this year they have been undone from set-plays - 16 goals from corners, and twice apiece from free-kicks and throw-ins.

Add in a further six goals conceded from penalties, and it is a worrying total of 26 times they have let in a goal from a dead ball.

A divisional high, seven higher than Nottingham Forest, who have conceded five times from penalties and 14 times at set-pieces.

For context, the record for set-piece goals conceded in a single Premier League season since such data was recorded belongs to Hull City, who allowed 32 goals in the 2016/17 season.

Sides that concede plenty from dead balls often end up at the wrong end of the table.

Apart from the outliers of Aston Villa and West Brom in the 2010/11 campaign, out of the eight teams that have conceded more than 25 set-pieces goals in a season, six have finished in the bottom five.

Only two of those went on to survive, indicating the damage done by repeated failure to defend set-pieces often becoming insurmountable for sides.

Cherries have to defend, on average, 7.09 corners a game – the highest in the division. Arguably this stat is a consequence of Cherries’ defensive style.

Across the top five leagues (England’s Premier League, France’s Ligue 1, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, and Italy’s Serie A), no team defends with more players inside their penalty box than Cherries’ average of six.

Whilst not massively efficient, Cherries block around 35 per cent of opponents’ shots, getting at least one player in-between the ball and the goal when a shot is taken.

But chucking bodies in the way of shots has its drawbacks.

Rice’s goal on Sunday took a deflection that left Neto powerless in the Cherries’ goal.

With a sea of bodies in front of the goalkeeper, sometimes the Brazilian has less time to react to a shot, making his job harder.

By allowing more corners, Cherries increase the chances of conceding goals from them.

There is also the increased danger of penalties being given away for handball.

Out of the seven penalties Cherries have conceded this term, four have been awarded for handball.

Whether they were all handballs is another debate centring around the effectiveness of VAR, but there is seemingly an increased risk of the ball striking an arm when players attempt to block the ball.

That then poses a question. If Cherries are sieve-like when defending corners, why do they set up in a way that sees them have to deal with multiple per game?

On Thursday night they face the division’s bottom side, Southampton.

Throughout this campaign, Saints’ saving grace has been their captain, James Ward-Prowse, his set-piece prowess alone earning his side vital points that have kept a beleaguered team in the fight for survival.

He must be licking his lips at the prospect of facing a Cherries side so porous when defending dead-ball scenarios.

Cherries’ Achilles’ heel remains exposed, and if not finally addressed, could threaten to undo all their hard work to remain in the Premier League.