Bournemouth soared to provisional second place in the Premier League after a thrilling 3-1 victory over Fulham at the Vitality Stadium on Friday. Antoine Semenyo's outstanding performance, featuring a brace, propelled the Cherries to their fourth win in seven league games.
The match unfolded in wet and windy conditions, with Fulham initially taking the lead in the 70th minute through Ryan Sessegnon. However, Bournemouth responded emphatically with a late surge of goals. Semenyo equalized in the 78th minute, showcasing his individual brilliance by dribbling past Timothy Castagne and slotting the ball through the legs of Fulham's goalkeeper Bernd Leno from a tight angle.
Justin Kluivert, a second-half substitute, then put Bournemouth ahead with a stunning long-range strike in the 86th minute, sending the home fans into raptures. Semenyo sealed the victory with his second goal in stoppage time, capitalizing on a counter-attack. Ben Gannon-Doak, another substitute, provided the assist for Semenyo's second goal.
Bournemouth's manager, Andoni Iraola, made four changes to the starting lineup from their previous match against Leeds United. Alex Scott, Marcus Tavernier, James Hill, and David Brooks returned to the side, while Ryan Christie, Amine Adli, Álex Jiménez, and Justin Kluivert started on the bench.
Fulham, managed by Marco Silva, were without their regular strikers Rodrigo Muniz and Raúl Jiménez. Despite taking the lead, they were unable to withstand Bournemouth's late onslaught. Silva expressed his disappointment with the way his team lost the game, noting that Bournemouth started stronger.
Semenyo's performance drew high praise, with Kluivert describing him as "world class". Iraola lauded Semenyo's continuous improvement, stating that he is getting better every season. Semenyo himself expressed his satisfaction with the team's start to the season and the positive environment at the club.
The win propelled Bournemouth to second place in the Premier League table with 14 points from seven matches, trailing only Liverpool. Fulham, meanwhile, remained in 11th place with eight points.
The victory was Bournemouth's fourth in their last seven Premier League games. Their next match is after the international break. Fulham will be looking to bounce back from their defeat in their next fixture.
