Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 4.
Player analysis: Antoine Semenyo (AFC Bournemouth)
AFC Bournemouth's star so far this season has been livewire forward Antoine Semenyo.
The Cherries plan to attack with speed and directness under Andoni Iraola, and the 24-year-old, who has been outstanding for them on transitions, is ideally suited to that style of play.
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He began the campaign as a roving striker, but much of his best work is done down the right side of Bournemouth’s attack.
Semenyo, who has produced a direct goal contribution in every match so far (two goals and one assist), is likely to be a real handful for Chelsea’s left-sided defenders Marc Cucurella and Levi Colwill.
Sharp shooting
Semenyo has been extremely positive in the early weeks of the season, driving at defenders with the intention of creating room for himself to take on shots.
He loves to drop a shoulder and cut inside onto his stronger left foot, and is a difficult to player to stop when he travels with the ball at pace.
After three rounds of matches no-one in the Premier League has attempted more shots than Semenyo's 17. He has been unlucky not to have scored more than two goals.
When you analyse where he likes to shoot from, it will be clear to Cucurella that he must try to show Semenyo onto his right foot, rather than letting him chop infield to hit the ball with his left.
On Cucurella’s inside, it will be vital that centre-back Colwill gets close enough to pressurise the shot, or to put in important blocks.
This curling effort that went just wide of the post against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground is typical of the way Semenyo likes to run at his markers.
Interestingly, Semenyo’s goals came in a very different manner.
In matches away to Nott'm Forest and Everton, he pushed himself to take up positions at the far post from left-wing crosses, and the winger was rewarded with two close-range strikes.
Carrying the attack
In a league that features so many talented dribblers, it is Semenyo who has wreaked the most havoc with the ball at his feet.
Semenyo has produced the most shots from ball carries, with seven, and created the most chances overall from those scenarios, with 11.
If Chelsea don't force him backwards or get tight to him, Semenyo is playing well enough to hurt them with a speedy dribble and shot.
Players most shots and key passes 24/25
| Player | Shots | Key passes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antoine Semenyo | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| Cole Palmer | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Luis Diaz | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Callum Hudson-Odoi | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Dominik Szoboszlai | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Bournemouth generate most of its attacking momentum from swiftly constructed attacks which makes Semenyo’s power on the ball an important asset for them.
He has completed 25 progressive ball carries and travelled with the ball for 654m already.
When you exclude defenders, Semenyo ranks third behind Manchester City's Jeremy Doku and Mateo Kovacic.
This chalkboard from Opta Analyst also highlights Semenyo’s ability to run at defenders from either side of the pitch.
He had a free role against Nott'm Forest, and late on in his last two appearances he has moved away from the right to hurt the opposition defence in different parts of the pitch.
An increasingly important player
Losing striker Dominic Solanke was always going to leave a big void at the Vitality Stadium, but Semenyo’s excellent form has eased the process of learning to live without their top marksman.
In many respects Semenyo is now Bournemouth's most important player.
He has received the most forward passes at Bournemouth and the most passes entering the final third, with 46 and 17 respectively, as his team-mates look to him to make something happen.
This more pivotal role in the starting XI is reflected in the fact Iraola has not substituted him yet this season.
Semenyo’s numbers are also way up on what he delivered per 90 minutes in 2023/24.
Semenyo's stats per 90 mins
| Statistic | 2024/25 | 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 5.67 | 2.99 |
| Shots outside box | 2.00 | 1.02 |
| Touches in opp. box | 7.67 | 5.59 |
| Big chances | 0.67 | 0.34 |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.47 | 0.20 |
Relishing the responsibility
One of the most encouraging aspects for Bournemouth is the way Semenyo has taken on the added responsibility.
This 30-yard diagonal sprint into the box to get himself a shot on goal from a left-wing cutback against Newcastle United typifies Semenyo’s hunger.
And this brilliant turnover in the same match, with Semenyo moving inside to rob Joelinton inside his own half, was the trigger for a superb assist.
From the transition he made, Semenyo drove down the right before whipping a perfect low cross along the six-yard box, with his weaker foot, for Marcus Tavernier to convert.
Chelsea will encounter one of the Premier League’s sharpest, most in-form forwards and will need to defend well to keep Bournemouth's main man quiet.
