Sport

Tyler Adams is proving key to Bournemouth’s success

The task couldn’t have been any more daunting for Tyler Adams. Up against arguably the strongest midfield in the Premier League now, the American had his work cut out for Bournemouth away to Newcastle United on Saturday, yet Adams emerged as the best midfielder on the pitch.

Bournemouth’s 4-1 away win at St James’ Park was a statement result and performance. It was a result that ended Newcastle’s nine-match winning run and highlighted the progress the Cherries have made under Andoni Ireola. On their current trajectory, the south coast side are in contention for Champions League qualification.

Adams has suffered more than his fair share of frustration since joining Bournemouth from Leeds United in August 2023. The American missed the majority of his first season at the club through injury and was once again sidelined after undergoing back surgery at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

Now that Adams is fit and available again, he is making his mark as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League. Nobody is averaging more tackles per 90 minutes for Bournemouth than the 25-year-old who has given the Cherries some extra steel in the centre of the pitch.

With Adams at the base of the midfield, Bournemouth’s attackers have more freedom to get forward. Justin Kluivert scored a hat trick against Newcastle on Saturday and the Dutchman was liberated by the presence of Adams behind him. Ryan Christie is another who has more freedom with Adams as a teammate.

It’s not just as a defensive midfielder that Adams is showing his quality. Indeed, the American is improving in possession, as demonstrated by the number of progressive passes he made at St James’ Park. Adams is frequently the player who gets Bournemouth moving forward from a deep position.

All this is good news for the US men’s national team as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup on home soil. Mauricio Pochettino is a fan of Adams having attempted to sign him for Chelsea and the USA’s midfield is stronger when featuring the 25-year-old. They don’t have another midfield anchor on his level.

Pochettino is tasked with remoulding the USA for a tournament they are expected to make a deep run in. The US made the last 16 at the 2022 World Cup, but have regressed since then. Adams, along with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, is the sort of player who could point them in the right direction again.

In the Bundesliga, Adams appeared destined for the top of European football. The likes of Liverpool and Manchester United were linked with the midfielder who quickly found his feet at RB Leipzig after a 2019 transfer from the New York Red Bulls in MLS. At that time, he was one of the best young midfield prospects in the sport.

Injuries have taken their toll on Adams, but he is now making up for lost time at one of the most progressive clubs in the Premier League. Bournemouth can play in a number of different ways. They can sit deep and hit out on the counter. They can also control possession and create chances that way. Adams is central to everything they do.

There’s still 16 games of the season left to play and Bournemouth have a lot of work ahead of them to make their position in the Premier League table stick. Injuries could hit them hard such is their relative lack of squad depth. In Adams, though, the Cherries have a player to build around. He makes them better.