Bournemouth secured their first Premier League victory of the 2025/26 season with a hard-fought 1-0 win against a 10-man Wolves side at the Vitality Stadium. Marcus Tavernier's early goal, aided by a deflection, proved to be the difference in a match where Wolves struggled to find their footing.
The game started at a frenetic pace, with both teams creating chances in the opening minutes. However, it was Bournemouth who capitalized first, with Tavernier's deflected shot finding the back of the net in the 4th minute. The goal came after Tyler Adams won possession in midfield and passed to Antoine Semenyo, who then set up Tavernier for the shot. Wolves' woes were compounded when their captain, Toti Gomes, was shown a straight red card in the 49th minute for a professional foul on Evanilson, who was through on goal.
Despite the man advantage, Bournemouth failed to extend their lead, with several opportunities going begging. Antoine Semenyo hit the crossbar shortly after assisting Tavernier's goal. Tyler Adams had a shot saved by Wolves' goalkeeper Jose Sa. Justin Kluivert, later in the game, also failed to hit the target.
Wolves, despite being a man down, showed resilience and pushed for an equalizer. Jørgen Strand Larsen forced a save from Bournemouth's goalkeeper Đorđe Petrović in the first half. However, they were unable to break down Bournemouth's defense.
Bournemouth's manager, Andoni Iraola, named new signings Ben Gannon-Doak and Amine Adli on the bench, sticking with the starting XI from the previous game against Liverpool. Wolves, on the other hand, gave a full debut to Colombia winger Jhon Arias.
The victory lifts Bournemouth to ninth in the table, while Wolves remain in the bottom three. Bournemouth fans may have been concerned in the final minutes, considering that the away side had won each of the previous five league meetings. However, Bournemouth secured the victory and their first three points of the season.
The match saw an attendance of 11,070 at the Vitality Stadium.