The Vitality Stadium hosted a lively and action-packed affair, where Bournemouth claimed a well-deserved victory after a trio of first half goals from the home side. Taylor Harwood-Bellis pulled one back early on in the second period, but the deficit proved insurmountable.
Russell Martin’s side remain winless and in the relegation zone, while Bournemouth now sit just one place a drift of the top 10 in the Premier League.
As it happened
Southampton were the side making early progress, having a deflected effort whistle just wide of the post. A clever flick by Ryan Fraser set Lesley Ugochukwu free down the left-hand flank. His cut back was met with the first time effort by Maxwel Cornet, but Marcos Senesi got a vital touch to divert the ball behind for a corner.
Despite enduring the expected stick from the home fans, Fraser was causing problems for the Bournemouth defence. Kepa Arrizabalaga’s failed clearance fell kindly to the Scotsman, who brought it under control before his dipping effort was parried away by the goalkeeper. Russell Martin would have been encouraged by his side’s lively start, with the Saints in search of a first win of the season.
However, against the run of play, Bournemouth struck first, 17 minutes in. Evanilson netted his first goal of the season, after some quick-thinking by the Cherries. Marcus Tavenier caught the Southampton defence off-guard after a swiftly taken free kick, lofting the ball into the box for the summer signing to volley into the far bottom corner. It was a goal that would give his confidence the world of good, having missed a penalty last weekend against Chelsea.
Embed from Getty ImagesAndoni Iraola’s side were starting to click into gear and could smell blood as they searched for a second. Dango Ouattara’s fizzed ball across the box nearly found Evanilson again, but a timely intervention from Charlie Taylor denied the striker. The Southampton defence was tested yet again minutes later, after Tavenier found space on the edge of the box. His powerful strike was denied by Aaron Ramsdale, who gathered thr ball at the second time of asking.
Bournemouth doubled their advantage, 15 minutes after the opener, putting daylight between themselves and the visitors. Antoine Semenyo’s dangerous run down the wing set up Lewis Cook, whose strike was flicked in by the boot of Ouattara, with his touch leaving Ramsdale wrong-footed. Whether it was an intentional flick from the Burkina Faso international raises the question. Southampton’s early momentum was undone as they found themselves 2-0 down just gone half-an-hour.
Bournemouth continued their onslaught, adding a third in emphatic fashion. Semenyo was beginning to become more influential and dangerous on the right, despite, as the tricky 24-year-old showed two or three Saints defenders on the inside, before shifting the other way and driving it low into the bottom left-hand corner. It was the Ghanaian’s third of the season, and Bournemouth’s third of the night, with the potential for more to come with over an hour still to play.
Embed from Getty ImagesSouthampton, once looking the more likley side to go ahead, had been completely dismantled. From the moment Evanilson found the back of the net, the game had been completely one-sided, with the Cherries running riot and the visitors desperate to avoid further damage before the break.
Russell Martin made a triple change at the break, in a bid to try and turn things round, or at least prevent an embarrassing scoreline. Joe Aribo, Ross Stewart and Ben Brereton Diaz all made their way onto the field.
Southampton pulled one back, making it the perfect start to the second period. Mateus Fernandes’ ball into the box eventually fell to Taylor Harwood-Bellis, whose diving header nestled into the bottom corner to make it 3-1. It was a goal that would give the Saints the slightest bit of hope that a comeback could be on the cards, with plenty of time remaining.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe visitors looked to reduce the deficit once more, with Stewart heading off target from Taylor’s cross. The goal had given Southampton a boost, whilst Bournemouth looked to put a foot back hold on this game and replicate their dominant first half performance.
With Southampton forced having to try and pull another one back if they wanted any hope of getting something from this game, the match was beginning to open up. Semenyo and Brereton Diaz were both enjoying spaces on their respective wings, creating the feeling another goal could be on the way. Evanilson came close when he was played through by Cook, but his effort straight down the throat was comfortable for Ramsdale.
Russell Martin’s side were beginning to knock on the door and were having their best spell of the game. Brereton Diaz sent a dangerous ball across the face of goal, but there was no Saint’s player able to get a vital touch to prod it in. It was superb defending from Milos Kerkez to meet the ball before Stewart did.
Ryan Christie was inches away from adding a fourth and putting the game beyond doubt, after a fantastic effort on the volley. Ramsdale was beaten, as the strike nestled in the side netting, being just the wrong side of the post.
As time ticked away, Southampton’s hope of a comeback began to fade. Despite getting into better positions in the second half, they struggled to break down the Bournemouth backline and lacked quality when it mattered most.
Late chances fell to Stewart and the substitute of Luis Sinisterra, but the scoreline remained unchanged. Bournemouth were able to see out the victory, leaving Southampton to make the short trip home empty-handed.
The lineups
BOU: Arrizabalaga; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Christie, Cook; Semenyo, Ouattara, Tavernier; Evanilson.
SOU: Ramsdale; Sugawara; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Taylor; Downes, Ugochukwu; Dibling, Fernandes, Fraser; Cornet.
