Andrew Surman has insisted that Bournemouth must put some points on the board in the early stages of the campaign so the Cherries do not risk 'getting left behind'.
Eddie Howe's side opened their 2017-18 Premier League campaign with a 1-0 defeat against West Bromwich Albion last weekend.
Next up for the south coast club is a home game against Watford on Saturday afternoon, and Surman has said that his team 'cannot afford to relax' despite securing a top-half finish in the table last season.
"You have got to be so careful not to think you've just cracked it. You can't relax and think, 'We've had two seasons here now so we're alright'. That's a dangerous game to play because you have to keep improving and evolving," Surman told Sky Sports News.
"Squads and teams are getting stronger and if you're not careful you can get left behind. That has been the message throughout pre-season and that's why we want to start the season well. We dropped points against West Brom but we want to get points on the board as quickly as possible. If you're not careful, and you take things for granted, it can be too late."
Surman played the full 90 minutes in last Saturday's defeat at West Brom.
