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Bournemouth Ends Winless Streak with Victory over Fulham
Bournemouth secured a crucial 1-0 victory against Fulham, ending a six-match winless streak in the Premier League and igniting their ambitions for European qualification. Antoine Semenyo’s goal just 53 seconds into the match proved decisive at the Vitality Stadium.
Semenyo took advantage of a mistake by Fulham’s Antonee Robinson, firing a precise shot into the bottom corner, contributing to Bournemouth’s climb into eighth place based on goal difference. With a tough competition for European spots, securing a top-eight finish may be sufficient for qualification, contingent on Crystal Palace’s performance in the FA Cup.
Player Ratings:
Bournemouth: Kepa (7); Smith (7), Senesi (6), Huijsen (8), Kerkez (7); Adams (7), Cook (7); Ouattara (7), Scott (7); Semenyo (8); Evanilson (6).
Subs: Zabarnyi (6), Tavernier (6), Soler (n/a).
Fulham: Leno (7); Castagne (6), Andersen (6), Bassey (6), Robinson (5); Berge (6), Lukic (6); Sessegnon (6), Pereira (6), Iwobi (6); Muniz (6).
Subs: Traore (6), Jimenez (6), Cairney (6), Smith Rowe (6), Willian (n/a).
Player of the Match: Dean Huijsen.
Post-match, Semenyo mentioned that head coach Andoni Iraola emphasized the importance of this match as a “make-or-break” for their season, highlighting the significance of the victory. “It has been a tough couple of weeks, but it is good to be back on the board,” he stated during an interview with Sky Sports.
Bournemouth’s energetic start almost yielded an additional goal, but Evanilson hit the crossbar in the 17th minute, marking the 21st time this season they have struck the woodwork, more than any other team in the league.
Early Goals This Season
This opening goal, scored at the 53-second mark, was the ninth to occur within the first minute during the 2024-25 Premier League season, just shy of the record set in the 2022-23 season, which featured ten early strikes.
Fulham had opportunities to equalize before halftime, with Rodrigo Muniz missing a crucial chance in the 31st minute following a defensive error from the Bournemouth center-backs. Six minutes later, an unmarked Ryan Sessegnon failed to capitalize, sending a header directly at Bournemouth’s goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
In the second half, frustrations mounted for Fulham as head coach Marco Silva faced confusion regarding substitutions, leading to an unintended player change with Sessegnon being erroneously replaced instead of Robinson. Silva addressed this error post-game, attributing it to a “lack of communication” with the fourth official.
Bournemouth displayed resilience under pressure, securing their first win in nine matches across all competitions. This result enhances their standing for European competition, matching their highest points total of the season at 48.
Team News
Bournemouth made one change from their previous match, bringing Marcos Senesi in for Illia Zabarnyi at center-back, while Justin Kluivert remained sidelined due to injury. Fulham maintained their lineup from a recent victory over Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Iraola: A Timely Win
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance to Sky Sports, stating, “Finishing with a clean sheet is so valuable because offensively we usually score, but we’ve struggled defensively in recent games.” He emphasized the importance of this victory and the need to maintain form as they prepare for a challenging away match against Crystal Palace next week.
Silva: Slow Start Proved Costly
Fulham head coach Marco Silva reflected on his team’s performance, noting, “We threw everything away with our first 25 minutes.” He recognized the need for more decisive and effective play early in the match, acknowledging the subsequent opportunities they created but highlighting that the early goal conceded hampered their efforts.
Match Statistics Overview
Looking Ahead in the Premier League
Source
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