sportskeeda
Bournemouth’s hopes for European football have been revitalized, all thanks to Antoine Semenyo.
The Ghanaian striker lifted the Cherries above Fulham in the race for a Europa Conference spot with a stunning goal just 53 seconds into the match!
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Semenyo’s eighth goal this season pushed the Cherries into eighth position, propelled by goal difference, while also breaking a streak of seven matches without a win.
The Cottagers departed the South Coast regretting their squandered opportunities after they dominated possession but failed to find the net.
This match wasn’t just a clash for European dreams; it also involved two managers rumored to be candidates for a Tottenham position should Ange Postecoglou leave.
Bournemouth’s Spanish coach Andoni Iraola and Fulham’s Portuguese manager Marco Silva have both attracted attention with their performances this season.
Bournemouth made one change from their previous outing, a 2-2 draw against West Ham.
In a surprising decision, manager Iraola benched Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi for the first time, opting for Marcos Senesi instead.
Meanwhile, Fulham retained the same lineup that triumphed over champions-elect Liverpool 3-2 in London.
However, any inflated confidence the visitors might have brought was swiftly deflated upon arriving at the Vitality Stadium.
Semenyo wove through the Fulham defense to score just 53 seconds into the match, marking his fourth goal in the Premier League this season out of 21 appearances.
Alex Scott provided the assist with a dedicated run; after receiving the ball, Semenyo skillfully maneuvered past Joachim Andersen before placing it into the far corner.
Despite having expressed to yesterday’s Sun Sport that he wasn’t worried about his lack of goals and felt he was ready to score again, no one expected him to find the back of the net so quickly, marking his first goal since Bournemouth’s 5-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest in January.
It nearly became 2-0 just 17 minutes in when Evanilson hit the crossbar from close range.
A great cross from Milos Kerkez was met by Scott, who headed it back, only for the Brazilian to send his half-volley crashing against the woodwork.
A miscommunication between Senesi and Dean Huijsen allowed Rodrigo Muniz a clear chance, but the Fulham striker sent his effort wide of the target.
This prompted a response from the visitors, with Muniz and Ryan Sessegnon both forcing Bournemouth goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga into impressive saves with headers.
Scott almost added his name to the scoresheet just before halftime, hitting a solo effort that was deflected around the post by Fulham keeper Bernd Leno.
Zabarnyi’s wait came to an end by halftime when he replaced the struggling Senesi.
Just ten minutes into the second half, Fulham breathed a sigh of relief when Leno managed to thwart a strike from Tyler Adams that could have doubled Bournemouth’s lead.
A determined Silva initiated a triple substitution on the hour mark, yet Sessegnon showed his dismay when he was substituted for Adama Traore.
A magnificent diving save from Kepa denied Alex Iwobi an equalizer shortly after the changes.
Substitute Tom Cairney then set up Sasa Lukic, whose shot was weakly directed straight at Kepa.
Kepa, who faced jibes as a “Chelsea reject” from the visiting fans, thrived on the mockery, especially after being named man of the match!
At the other end, it seemed that Leno had conceded a penalty nine minutes from the end when he collided with Evanilson.
However, VAR intervened, determining that Leno had successfully punched the ball clear just before making contact with the Brazilian.
