Dominic Solanke hits first Premier League goals for Bournemouth in rout of Leicester to give former club Chelsea Champions League boost
- Bournemouth hit four goals to beat Leicester in bid for Premier League safety
- Dominic Solanke struck twice to register first league goals for club in 39th game
- Cherries are now 18th and sit three points from safety with three games to play
- Striker also gave former club Chelsea boost in race for Champions League place
Dominic Solanke chose the perfect moment to end his 39-game Premier League goal drought to hit a double in Bournemouth’s 4-1 demolition of Leicester to boost their chances of survival.
The Cherries are now 18th, three points from Premier League safety with three games to play after ending a miserable run of recent form.
Striker Solanke, signed from Liverpool for £19million in January 2018, has struggled since the big-money move but his two goals also gave a timely boost to Chelsea in the race for Champions League football with Foxes, in fourth, dropping points again.
Dominc Solanke (centre) takes praise from team-mates after scoring for Bournemouth
The £19million striker slammed home his first Cherries Premier League goal against Leicester
Having at one point been 14 points clear of their rivals, Leicester are now just one point ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United with a game to play.
Chelsea, where Solanke came through the youth system, are one point ahead in third and in pole position for the Champions League places.
As it stands, Champions Liverpool and Manchester City, in second, will take two spots and the final two will be contested between Chelsea, Leicester and Manchester United.
However, sixth-placed Wolves are only three points back and even seventh-placed Sheffield United still have a chance on 54 points.
To further confuse things, Manchester City are awaiting a verdict from the court of arbitration for sport (CAS) over their two-year ban from European football that would offer up another Champions League spot.
If the ban is upheld, it is likely that the teams finishing from fifth to eighth will qualify for the Europa League.
Solanke then seized on a defensive mistake to poke home his second of the game in victory