Marco Rose Puts a Number on Evanilson — '15 or 20 Goals' — as Bournemouth Chase an Eighth Straight Win

Marco Rose did something managers usually avoid before a road trip: he put a number on his striker. Asked about Evanilson ahead of Sunday's Premier League game at Ipswich Town, the Bournemouth head coach said the Brazilian has made a "really good" start and has "maybe 15 or 20 goals" within reach this season.

That is not idle praise. Evanilson has scored four goals in his last four league appearances, according to BBC Sport, and the Bournemouth Daily Echo counts six goals and five assists in 13 appearances across all competitions. He arrives at Portman Road (kickoff 9 a.m. ET Sunday) on a seven-game winning streak for a team that has turned its season around in a matter of weeks.

A target like "15 or 20" is a real bar for this player. Evanilson scored six times in 38 matches in 2025-26, according to Brazilian outlet ge. He has already matched that goal total before mid-November, and his assist count is higher.

Rose has been clear that the goals are the late part of the story. "This kind of players are very rare because he's working quite hard for the team," he told the Daily Echo after Thursday's 3-1 Europa League win at Sparta Prague. "He's doing every step out of possession... He used every trigger he can get for pressing and if we have the ball, his composure, he can play like a 10, like a 9 and 1/2 and now he starts to score. Maybe this is the big different to the seasons before."

That is the difference between a hot streak and a role. Rose is describing a striker whose pressing and link play earned him minutes long before the finishing arrived, which is why the coach is comfortable saying the number out loud. In Prague, Evanilson came off the bench with the game tied, scored the go-ahead goal in the 81st minute and then set up Rayan for the third.

Rose was just as specific about the team. He told reporters a "change in mindset" is behind seven straight wins in all competitions, after Bournemouth were "dropping points" and "not getting what we wanted" early in his first season since replacing Andoni Iraola, who left for Liverpool. "We are now defending and attacking together, we are adding that extra 5% to each performance, and we are winning games," he said.

U.S. captain Tyler Adams, who scored the equalizer in the 57th minute against Sparta, told reporters afterward that the side have "turned a page," ESPN reported. The Europa League run is perfect so far, four wins from four, and the league form has followed. Bournemouth sit ninth on 12 points heading into Sunday.

Rose also credited his back line. "It is important to defend in a compact way in the Premier League," he said, calling James Hill "one of the best English defenders we have" and saying Antonio Silva has adapted to the league quickly.

Rose did not pretend Sunday is a gimme. He said Bournemouth cannot "switch off" against Gary O'Neil's Ipswich, a side he described as a team of late scorers, and expects a "tough challenge" away from home.

The squad is also stretched. Eli Junior Kroupi is still building fitness after preseason foot surgery, and Rose said the club hopes to have him "ready to start after the international break." Alex Scott has "started to train with the team" but "isn't 100%" after the thigh injury he picked up on England duty in October. Adam Smith's 45 minutes in Prague were planned in advance and were not about an injury, Rose said.

That is a seperate reason Evanilson's form matters. With Kroupi not yet ready to start and two away trips in one week, Rose needs his No. 9 to keep finishing while the rotation catches up. He has also said the international break "helps us," giving some players the training block they need and others a rest.

Rose's "15 or 20 goals" line will be judged by how Evanilson handles a deep, physical Ipswich block, not by another chaotic Europa League night. If Bournemouth make it eight in a row at Portman Road, the coach's number will stop sounding bold and start sounding like a forecast.

For more on how Iraola is handling his first months at Liverpool, read our breakdown of Iraola owning the risky goal kicks behind Alisson's tough week.

By Diego Cargua — El Futbolero USA