AFTER four games of the new Premier League season, Cherries had the fourth most expected goals in the league.

The metric, xG, was introduced by Opta in 201 and measures the quality of chances created by calculating the likelihood that it will be scored, using information from similar shots in the past.

Ahead of the weekend’s game at Liverpool AFC Bournemouth have 8.94 xG so far this term and sat behind their hosts, Aston Villa and Manchester City in the xG list.

But Cherries have not been hugely clinical in front of goal and have been underperforming when it comes to converting these chances into goals.

This came back to haunt Cherries when they slipped to a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, despite having more chances in the game.

Before the match on Merseyside, Cherries had also had the third most shots on goal, behind Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Liverpool clash, Iraola was asked about what this stat meant to him about how his side were performing.

“I think it's good numbers to have,” he said. “Numbers don't give you points, but I think we are having our chances.

“We are creating things.

“I feel like the wingers, the forwards, the number ten are having chances, are being a threat for the opposition.

“I hope they can continue like this because I think the most important thing is to have the chances to get there, to play a lot in the last third and then I trust my players to finish it also and to score the goals.”

The Daily Echo asked about the xG statistic and what was needed to start converting more of these chances into goals.

He said it was too early in the season to look at these stats – but that a more representative picture would emerge through the tough run of fixtures that face Cherries in their next games.

“We have talked about the position we have, probably this number will get lower and will not be the same,” Iraola said. “It's very early to take conclusions. I want to be always a team that creates chances, but now it's going to be more difficult, obviously, against Chelsea, against Liverpool, against these teams.

“I think we have to be probably more clinical.”

The Basque manager’s side is also towards the top of the table for distance covered so far this term.

Asked what this stat meant about his side, Iraola said: “Sometimes you run a lot because you are not playing well.

“No, it's not we run a lot, so we are good. No, it's not like this.

“I value more than the total distance we cover, the high-speed running, this is the expensive distance.

“This is the one where you can make the difference.

“But obviously, the way we play, if we are not physically ready, we don't have any chance.

“We have to be physically ready because if we want to be a transition team who presses, who puts pressure on the opposition, we need players that give everything.

“That's why in our games, a lot of things happen at the end of the games. In our games, the subs are very, very important and we have to be this type of thing, for me, to perform well.”