Dominic Solanke maintained his outstanding scoring form as Bournemouth defeated Fulham to claim their fourth consecutive Premier League victory.
Following a brilliant mazy run by Alex Scott that set up Justin Kluivert’s shot, which squirmed under Fulham custodian Bernd Leno, the Cherries took the lead late in a shaky first half.
Just after the hour mark, Solanke increased the lead with a penalty kick, which he converted into his 12th league goal of the season after Joao Palhinha obstructed Antoine Semenyo’s attempt was blocked.
The striker scored his fifth goal in his previous three matches, and Bournemouth earned its first penalty in 65 games, snapping a 609-day drought. Replace or substitute In stoppage time, Luis Sinisterra signed off for Bournemouth with a stunning goal. The winger entered the area from the left before launching an unstoppable 25-yard shot into the upper-right corner.
After a third consecutive league loss without scoring, Fulham had little chance of regaining the initiative, and Leno could have further complicated matters by shoving a ball boy who, in his opinion, was taking too long to return the ball for a goal-kick.
At the subsequent break in play, the 31-year-old German apologised to the youth for the gentle shove, but was applauded by the home crowd for the remainder of the match.
Fulham remains in thirteenth place, while Bournemouth advances above Chelsea and into the top half with the victory. The visitors of Marco Silva endured an extremely disappointing afternoon, which may cost them their custodian for the time being.
Leno became irate at the ball boy’s perceived waste of time with Fulham trailing 2-0. In response, he seized the ball from the boy and placed his palm on his chest. Leno had previously received a booking, and his conduct incited an enraged response from the audience, who thereafter expressed their disapproval with each contact of the ball he made.
The custodian subsequently expressed remorse to the audience and the ball boy, but the outcome of the incident will remain to be seen. Manager Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth observed the match from the stands while serving a one-match touchline suspension and observing his side struggling early on to find their rhythm.
Both teams exhibited clumsy play in possession, but the hosts started to gain control after thirty minutes. After Kluivert’s one-minute-before-halfheader, they never again faced the risk of conceding points.
A number of trivial details are presently coming into alignment, Iraola reported on Match of the Day. We have become significantly more acquainted. Each person is exerting pressure. There is intense competition for minutes.Although assembling the starting XIs is becoming more challenging, it is to the team’s advantage.
Bournemouth were able to keep Fulham at bay in the second half despite having the upper hand, and despite never being at their peak in terms of possession, they were consistently at ease.
Solanke affixed a cushion with a composed penalty kick, and by the time Sinisterra drilled in the final, the victory appeared to be secure for an extended period.
The Cherries have won six of their last seven top-flight contests, extending their uninterrupted streak to seven. With that streak intact, they can approach their upcoming league matches against Tottenham and Liverpool with a sense of optimism.