Round 4 of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League concluded on Thursday, November 5, with mixed results for the three Premier League sides in the competition.
Bournemouth continued their impressive form with their seventh consecutive win across all competitions, while Crystal Palace could only manage a draw, and Sunderland suffered a defeat.
Bournemouth are now second in the league phase table with maximum points from four games, while Sunderland and Palace sit 11th and 21st respectively.
Bournemouth continue strong run
With seven wins in seven games, Bournemouth are on a flying run since turning their season around following a shaky start.
Travelling to Czechia to face Sparta Praha, the Cherries went from 1-0 down to win the game 3-1.
Lewis Cook missed a penalty early in the game, but Tyler Adams, Evanilson and Rayan all came off the bench to hit the target and secure the win for Bournemouth.
Bournemouth boss Marco Rose was happy with the three points:
“It was a good team performance. We changed eight players, we needed to be ready for this game because they are good opposition,” he said, according to Sky Sports.
“We missed a penalty, struggled in some moments, they scored a nice goal but then to come back away here is a good sign to everyone in the team.
“It’s a big achievement and we have to continue, we need to stay alert, sharp. It’s up to us to use this momentum.
“Everyone tries to beat us, if we get in a comfort zone just a little bit we get in trouble,” Rose added, reflecting on Bournemouth’s seven wins.
Palace share the points
Crystal Palace hosted Bundesliga 12th-placed side Hoffenheim on Thursday night but could only salvage a draw after conceding seven minutes into the game.
With Palace in the Premier League’s relegation zone, things looked to be going from bad to worse.
By the 90th minute of the Europa League fixture, they were still losing 1-0 and were down to 10 men.
However, in just the first minute of stoppage time, Daichi Kamada scored the equaliser to secure a point for the Eagles.
Already under fire, Palace head coach Pierre Sage was questioned over his surprising decision to leave Axel Disasi out of the squad.
The defender had initially been shown in the starting XI on social media, before the teamsheet was corrected to show Honest Ahanor in his place.
When asked why he had left Disasi out, Sage told reporters, “It’s an internal decision. I don’t want to comment.”
“It’s nice to try to ask the same question, but I said I don’t want to comment. Sorry for that because, you know, I always reply, but I don’t want to comment on this thing,” he said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
When Sage was pressed further and told that not providing an explanation gave the impression that he was “losing control,” he simply replied: “That’s your analysis.”
Sunderland lose as boss prioritises Chelsea fixture
Another head coach under pressure is Regis Le Bris, who has now led Sunderland to two consecutive defeats, following their 3-1 loss to Coventry in the Premier League over the weekend.
They hosted Czechia side Dinamo Zagreb and succumbed to a 2-0 defeat, taking the Black Cats’ run to just one win in six games across all competitions.
However, while speaking to TNT Sports, Le Bris explained that although his side could have done more, his priority is their league fixture against Chelsea this weekend.
“Tough period. We had two different halves. The first one was difficult with many young players.
“This period is not easy to manage and we felt even if they tried, it’s heavy at the minute. It’s not easy to change the dynamic,” he said.
“I appreciated the reaction in the second half, even though there were more experienced players. More quality, more experience on the pitch.
“We are unlucky because we created many chances but it wasn’t enough. It’s like this, when you go on a poor run it’s hard to change the dynamic.
“We are still combative, the players tried until the end to show something different. We know that the most important game this week is at the end of the week against Chelsea.
“I’m pleased with the energy, competitiveness until the end. Now we need more quality, it’s fair to say that, because at the minute it’s not the case.”
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Michael Davey 
SportJustSport writers