At Bournemouth, where Fulham had lost their last three visits, Marco Silva’s team were tweaking the noses of Andoni Iraola, having taken the lead through Ryan Sessegnon’s well-crafted goal. Step forward Antoine Semenyo, one of the players of the season so far, his slaloming run down the byline, his drop of the shoulder confounding Bernd Leno to equalise from the narrowest of angles. Next, to snatch the three points, the Ghanaian sent Justin Kluivert away to score a gorgeous winner. Just when it seemed Fulham were set for fourth time lucky, Bournemouth instead climbed to second. Semenyo’s second, from a trademark warp-speed counter, completed a sweet home win. A soaked Silva, whipped by autumnal gusts, could only suffer on the sidelines as a chance to prove he too is one of the Premier League’s progressive forces slipped from his grasp.
Despite an elite asset-stripping of his team, Iraola’s squad looks far more robust than last season. A manager who readily picks the same team if form dictates had made four changes from the draw at Leeds. Selecting David Brooks, Marcus Tavernier, Alex Scott and James Hill allowed Ryan Christie, Amine Adli, Justin Kluivert and Alejandro Jiménez to drop to the bench. The Basque’s brand of high pressing football will cause wear and tear, and where last winter Bournemouth could barely field a team full of fit players, he was using the luxury of rotation and tactical switches while he still could.
No such luxury for Silva, shorn of strikers. That initially meant Alex Iwobi pushed forward, Harry Wilson on the opposite flank. Josh King, who on a weekly basis has soothed Cottagers’ fans griping about the lack of new signings, operated as the withdrawn striker.
Bournemouth attacked from the first whistle, Fulham struggled for a foothold. Adrien Truffert, inheritor of Milos Kerkez’s No 3 shirt, was to the fore as an attacking left-back. Tyler Adams had the first shot in real anger, as Bournemouth forced a series of corners. Set pieces have become a speciality for Bournemouth though Fulham weathered their opening salvo, only to lose Sasa Lukic to a muscle injury.
At the stadium where last season a clerical error meant Fulham subbed the wrong player – Ryan Sessegnon rather than Lukic – Silva did not contain his rage. His team’s inability to hold the ball further darkened his mood. It was not until the 23rd minute that Tom Cairney, on for Lukic, took Fulham’s first proper aim at goal.
Cairney, far more forward-thinking than Lukic, and his understanding with King made Fulham far more progressive in attack. Bournemouth looked blunted, and as the night air filled with drizzle courtesy of Storm Amy, there was frustration among the home fans. Evanilson, Bournemouth’s striker, was struggling for supply. Fulham’s problem as half-time arrived was not dissimilar; no striker to get on the end of their increasingly dangerous attacks.
When Calvin Bassey brought down Evanilson, hunting the rebound from an Antoine Semenyo shot, a penalty shout rang out, only for offside to invalidate any claim. A half of three shots on target, Iwobi scuffing the last from a promising position, ground to a soggy halt.
That 45 minutes represented the lowest combined xG of any first half thus far this Premier League season. Things could only get better? Excitement levels were upped a notch, though weather conditions were cutting down the amount of long passes attempted. Scott’s low scuff of an Evanlison flick, blocked by Bassey, suggested fresh impetus from Bournemouth. When Evanilson’s flying volley hit the side-netting, he inadvertently triggered the video screen into goal celebrations that were quickly aborted and he came closer when drilling the ball into Leno’s hands after Marcus Tavernier’s flick. Next, the Brazilian collapsed in the penalty box, only for the video assistant to rule Issa Diop had made “accidental” contact.
after newsletter promotion
Jiménez and Kluivert made their appearance as 60th-minute subs, Iraola looking to the Milan loanee to overlap from right-back, Kluivert to add his trademark zip, play closer to Evanilson. Silva’s fresh arrivals were Kevin and Samuel Chukwueze, King and Wilson both having faded from the contest. Fulham’s manager paced the line with anxiety, clad only in a now wringing wet pullover.
Did we need to talk about Kevin? Instead, it was Chukwueze’s exchange with Sessegnon that broke the deadlock, Fulham’s prodigal stabbing into the roof of the net.
Iraola’s response was to gamble again, taking off two defensive minded players in Marcos Senesi and Tyler Adams, replacing them with Ben Gannon-Doak and Ryan Christie. That set the stage for Semenyo to continue Bournemouth’s rise.