With the club's great start to the Premier League season looking like a distant memory, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe is accepting the reality of a relegation fight in the coming months.
Bournemouth failed to win again on Sunday, which means the team is now in 16th position in the Premier League. The points total of 16 from 18 games means they are only one point off the drop zone.
In their latest Premier League outing, Bournemouth fell 4-0 to Liverpool, with Philippe Coutinho, Dejan Lovren, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino getting the goals in a rout.
Howe spoke with the press after the game and said: "We were in a relegation battle in our first season, our second season and it's the same this season. That is the case for the majority of teams that aren't in the top six or seven places.
"The only thing that has changed is the perception and the expectation from everyone around us. We're well aware of what we need to do and we need to be strong internally to make sure that happens."
Howe was disappointed with the defeat, and knows his team must respond in the coming games against Chelsea, Manchester City and West Ham. With the fixture list being unkind to Bournemouth, it would not be a surprise if the club were in the bottom three come Christmas Day.
