Justin Kluivert has lauded his teammate Antoine Semenyo as "world-class" after Bournemouth's thrilling 3-1 comeback victory against Fulham. The win, fueled by Semenyo's two goals and Kluivert's stunning strike, propelled Bournemouth to second place in the Premier League table.
The match at the Vitality Stadium appeared to be heading towards a first defeat for The Cherries since the opening day of the season after Ryan Sessegnon gave Fulham the lead in the 70th minute. However, Semenyo sparked the comeback with a brilliant solo goal in the 78th minute, weaving past Timothy Castagne and slotting the ball through the legs of Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Six minutes later, Kluivert unleashed a powerful shot from distance into the top corner to put Bournemouth ahead. Semenyo then sealed the victory with his second goal in added time, finishing off a counter-attack led by Ben Gannon-Doak.
"He is incredible, he shows it every game now,” Kluivert said of Semenyo in a Sky Sports interview. "He is just world-class. We are glad to have him and that is why I said we have a good team. He is the one that scores goals for us and we appreciate that. He's doing an amazing job".
Bournemouth's manager, Andoni Iraola, also praised the pair, saying, "Antoine and Justin made the difference. The first two goals were amazing goals".
The victory extends Bournemouth's unbeaten run to six Premier League games. Kluivert acknowledged the significance of the win, stating, "It's a big statement. Losing 1-0 and having the team spirit to come back is incredible". He also expressed optimism about the team's prospects for the season, adding, "It's early (in the season), but we have to strive for the highest possible (position)".
The game itself was a hard-fought contest in wet conditions. Chances were limited in the first half, with Semenyo's shot being saved by Leno in the 42nd minute. Bournemouth started the second half strongly, but it was Fulham who broke the deadlock through Sessegnon. However, Semenyo's equalizer ignited Bournemouth's attack, and Kluivert's stunning goal completed the turnaround. Semenyo's second goal in stoppage time secured the 3-1 victory.
With this win, Bournemouth sits second in the Premier League with 14 points from seven matches, just one point behind leaders Liverpool. Meanwhile, Fulham are in 11th place with eight points.