The time when club officials from Madrid, Milan and Munich start ­scoping logistics for accommodation in the Bournemouth area is delayed for now. Beating Wolves could have taken Andoni Iraola’s team up into fourth but next season’s Champions League remains a dream some way from being realised.

Under a different kind of pressure – expectation – Bournemouth lost to an organised, muscular and determined Wolves, the talismanic Matheus Cunha ­scoring the winner. Even before Illia Zabarnyi’s disputed red card, the Bournemouth machine had shown defective signs, previous ­football from the gods deserting them. If ­officialdom took public blame, Wolves deserved credit. “It affects the game, absolutely,” said Iraola of his defender’s dismissal. “Physically it becomes difficult to keep the quality.”