EDDIE Howe admitted he had enjoyed a rare moment of reflection having watched the scrap for Premier League safety in midweek.

Sunderland’s 3-0 victory over Everton consigned Newcastle and Norwich to the drop long after Cherries had secured their status at the end of last month.

Addressing the midweek drama, Howe said: “When you consider the size of the clubs, their histories, the size of their fanbase, it does bring home the size of our achievement.

“I can’t credit our guys enough, especially in the face of adversity. It has not just been the season, we have had things thrown at us and gone against us.

“At the start of the season, probably nobody would have given us a chance of staying up with the injuries we had. We had a choice from that moment and the players stood up, faced it and did incredibly well.

“I should not be underestimated how well they have done. The teams who were fighting it out and pressure they endured, it was nice not to be involved in that and to look at it objectively.”