Premier League GW19 - Bournemouth vs Fulham

Bournemouth vs Fulham | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Bournemouth gave their supporters a football feast on Boxing Day at the Vitality Stadium, defeating Fulham 3-0 in the process. The Cherries showed off their skills, leaving the audience in awe with their clinical finishing and magical moments.

Bournemouth:

This season, Bournemouth has put on some amazing shows at the Vitality Stadium, and they have won their past three Premier League home games (W2 D1) to collect seven points. In their past 12 league encounters with Fulham, the Cherries have only lost once, and that was back in 2019. The South Coast team is seeking to break the curse against Andoni Iraola's team, who has failed to win a game in England's top flight on Boxing Day (D3 L2).

Fulham:

Fulham hopes to reverse a dismal run of away games when they visit Bournemouth. Since the first day of the season, the Cottagers have not triumphed on the road in the Premier League, going winless in their last eight away games (D3 L5). The team captained by Marco Silva has dropped its last three road games, giving up at least three goals each time. With a victory, Fulham might move up into the top half of the Premier League and pass Chelsea and Wolves, their opponents today, into tenth place.

Starting XI:

BOURNEMOUTH (4-2-3-1):

Neto; Dango Ouattara, Marcos Senesi, Illia Zabarnyi, Adam Smith; Ryan Christie, Alex Scott; Marcus Tavernier, Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo; Dominic Solanke.

BOURNEMOUTH SUBS: Max Aarons, Philip Billing, David Brooks, Ben Greenwood, Chris Mepham, Kieffer Moore, Joe Rothwell, Luis Sinisterra, Mark Travers.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1):

Bernd Leno; Antonee Robinson, Calvin Bassey, Tosin Adarabioyo, Kenny Tete; Tom Cairney, Joao Palhinha; Alex Iwobi, Andreas Pereira, Bobby De Cordova-Reid; Rodrigo Muniz.

FULHAM SUBS: Carlos Vinicius, Fode Ballo-Toure, Timothy Castagne, Issa Diop, Luke Harris, Sasa Lukic, Harrison Reed, Marek Rodak, Harry Wilson.

Vitality Stadium | Picture Credits: Facts.net

First Half: Scott's Brilliance Sets the Stage

Bournemouth had a winning record at home going into the game, and they carried that momentum into it, taking home seven points from their previous three games. There weren't many opportunities in the first half of the match, but in the 44th minute, everything clicked. Former Bristol City player Alex Scott masterfully crafted a captivating play, slicing through Fulham's defence and threading the ideal pass to Justin Kluivert. With aplomb, the Dutchman tucked the ball past Bernd Leno to give Bournemouth the lead.

Despite having few opportunities, Bournemouth went into halftime with a slim 1-0 advantage. The two teams failed to create many meaningful opportunities in the first half, with Kluivert's clinical finish and Scott's incredible assist serving as the highlights.

Second Half Drama: Solanke's Penalty and Sinisterra's Stunner

In the second half, the Cherries did not lose time in establishing their superiority. Following Antoine Semenyo's impressive run into the penalty area in the 59th minute, Joao Palhinha was called for a foul, which gave Bournemouth a penalty. With assurance, Dominic Solanke took the penalty kick and easily converted it, increasing the advantage to 2-0. Bernd Leno received a yellow card for failing to divert the attention of the Bournemouth players prior to the penalty.

Even with a two-goal lead, Bournemouth was not content as injury time entered the game. Leno had little chance in the ninety-first and third minutes as Luis Sinisterra struck with such force from outside the penalty area. The ball shot into the upper corner, giving the Cherries a 3-0 victory.

Cherries Shine Bright

Bournemouth's outstanding display over Fulham demonstrated their capacity to seize decisive opportunities. Scenes of celebration filled the Vitality Stadium thanks to goals from Scott, Kluivert, Solanke, and Sinisterra, including a late stunner by the great Scott. Following this resounding victory, Bournemouth will now focus on their New Year's Eve match against Tottenham, while Fulham will try to recover against their London rivals, Arsenal. Savouring a remarkable victory, the Cherries' supporters left the stadium feeling like they had received a late Christmas present.

Kluivert's goal gave Bournemouth a 1-0 lead before the half time | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Solanke scored a goal through penalty and doubled bournemouth's lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Sinisterra scored a late goal and sealed Bournemouth's 3-0 lead victory | Picture Credits: Premier League Website