The wait is over for Bournemouth. Finally, at the 16th time of asking, they tasted victory on Southampton soil and climbed to the dizzy heights of third place in the table in the process. The south coast bragging rights are theirs and Bournemouth’s travelling supporters were able to indulge in a little schadenfreude at the end too, after a calamitous defensive mix-up handed Callum Wilson the easiest goal he will ever score.
It was a strange game in many ways, with Southampton enjoying 65% possession and registering 25 shots to Bournemouth’s six, yet the only statistic that matters is the scoreline. Bournemouth also had a goal ruled out for offside after VAR intervened and a strong penalty appeal turned down despite the decision being reviewed. Technology was not on their side here but it did not need to be on a night when Southampton were such obliging opponents.
Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side were undone by a routine set-piece when Nathan Aké headed home almost unchallenged, and that poor concession set the tone for a flat first-half performance. Bournemouth, in contrast, looked dangerous whenever they counterattacked in that period and it says much for their character that they responded so well to seeing a superb goal for Joshua King chalked off. “That probably was the defining moment, how we would react to that setback,” Eddie Howe, Bournemouth’s manager, said.
The goal that Harry Wilson scored 10 minutes later came at the end of a lovely move that prised open Southampton’s right flank, and from that moment on it was hard to see a way back for the home team. James Ward-Prowse gave them some hope with a second-half penalty and there was plenty of pressure thereafter, yet the glaring absence of a cutting edge up front – Danny Ings and Che Adams have scored only once between them this season – raises major questions about where the goals will come from in this team.
Bournemouth have no such concerns and there were wild scenes at the end as they celebrated a landmark victory. “At last,” said Howe, smiling. “It’s a nice feeling. Thankfully next time we come back that [sequence of games without a win] won’t be the topic of conversation. It was a really nice moment for us all to enjoy together. When you consider how far this club has come in recent years and how bleak the outlook was at times, to think that we would win here in the Premier League – that’s something that at one stage we would never have thought possible. So it’s a nice moment to acknowledge that.”
The game was only 10 minutes old when Aké put Bournemouth ahead. Diego Rico delivered an inswinging corner and Aké was able to get a free run at the ball. Kevin Danso was the nearest player to Aké when the Dutchman made contact but powerless to prevent him from heading powerfully past Angus Gunn.
Everyone in the stadium thought it was 2-0 when King expertly curled the ball into the far corner after running on to Dominic Solanke’s threaded pass, but VAR correctly identified that the Norwegian had strayed just offside. If that was a warning for Southampton, it went unheeded. Philip Billing’s break from deep implored King to release him in the inside-left channel, and it was a lovely cutback from the central midfielder that picked out the run of Harry Wilson. Darting across Jannik Vestergaard, the Welshman scored his third Bournemouth goal with an incisive first-time finish. “He’s got that knack of popping up with big goals,” added Howe.
Hasenhüttl changed things around both tactically and in terms of personnel, and was rewarded with a goal early in the second half, when Ward-Prowse emphatically converted from the spot after Steve Cook had clumsily brought down Adams. Bournemouth were then denied a penalty when Chris Kavanagh, the referee, waved away their appeals and VAR decided against overturning that decision.
It made for an anxious finale for Bournemouth until a total breakdown in communication between Gunn and Jan Bednarek gave Callum Wilson the chance to roll the ball into the net in front of the jubilant visiting supporters. “They were very clinical and we weren’t,” lamented Hasenhüttl.