Dango Ouattara rescued a point for AFC Bournemouth as they played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with fellow European hopefuls Fulham on Sunday.
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The substitute scored an 89th-minute equaliser to secure a share of the spoils at Craven Cottage, where both sides extended their respective unbeaten runs to seven matches.
After Evanilson cancelled out Raul Jimenez’s first-half header, Fulham were on course for all three points when Harry Wilson nodded them back in front 18 minutes from time.
However, there was to be a late twist, with Ouattara neatly chipping Bernd Leno to save a point for the visitors.
Andoni Iraola’s team remain sixth in the Premier League table and one point ahead of Marco Silva's men, who stay eighth.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
19 | +15 | 35 |
| 5 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
19 | +11 | 32 |
| 6 |
Man City
MCI
|
19 | +6 | 31 |
| 7 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
19 | +6 | 30 |
| 8 |
Fulham
FUL
|
19 | +3 | 29 |
| 9 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
19 | -3 | 29 |
How the match unfolded
Bournemouth created the better opportunities during the first half. David Brooks' fierce volley was held by Leno, who also thwarted Antoine Semenyo.
The Cherries thought they had taken the lead when James Hill headed in from a corner, only to be denied for a push on Calvin Bassey.
That let-off proved crucial as Fulham struck against the run of play five minutes before the break, with Jimenez powering home a header from Andreas Pereira's corner.
Nevertheless, the visitors levelled within six minutes of the restart, Evanilson latching onto Hill's long ball in behind the Fulham defence before volleying past Leno from a tight angle.
Both sides went in search of the match’s third goal. Kepa Arrizabalaga thwarted Jimenez’s header and Leno denied Philip Billing before Fulham restored their advantage in the 72nd minute, with Wilson powering home a header from Antonee Robinson’s cross.
However, Bournemouth rescued themselves in the dying moments of regulation time as the ball broke kindly for Ouattara, who calmly lifted over Leno, with the goal awarded following a VAR review to check a potential foul in the build-up.
Fulham pegged back twice
Fulham were fresh from their dramatic turnaround against west London rivals Chelsea on Boxing Day, though they seemed to struggle to build on that momentum early in the contest.
But after surviving several scares, including Hill’s disallowed header, they landed the first blow just before half-time, as Jimenez superbly attacked Pereira’s corner for his sixth goal of the season.
Although they conceded early in the second half, the hosts did not let their heads drop and continued to push forward in a bid to regain their lead, which they eventually did through Wilson.
However, Silva’s side could not hold on for a second successive victory, with the ball ricocheting kindly for Ouattara to deny them all three points.
Nevertheless, Fulham are now unbeaten in seven straight Premier League matches for the first time since 2010 under Mark Hughes, and they appear to be genuine contenders for European football.
They will fancy their chances of extending that streak against struggling Ipswich Town in their first match of 2025 next Sunday.
Bournemouth bounce back
With fourth-placed Chelsea not playing until Monday, Bournemouth had the opportunity to move within three points of the Champions League places.
Following their goalless draw with Crystal Palace on Boxing Day, Iraola urged his players to demonstrate a more clinical edge in front of goal.
However, their efforts initially went without reward once again, as they could not convert their early pressure into the opening goal, with Fulham capitalising from their first real opportunity through Jimenez.
Nevertheless, the Cherries responded well after the break and were soon back on level terms through Evanilson’s instinctive finish.
Iraola’s side were looking to record four successive Premier League away wins for the second time in as many seasons, though simply securing a point became their primary objective when Wilson’s header put the hosts back in front.
To their credit, Bournemouth continued to plug away and, though the ball broke kindly for them in the box, they capitalised on their good fortune with Ouattara’s lovely finish bringing them level again.
Also unbeaten in seven matches at the end of 2024, the Cherries begin 2025 at home to 16th-placed Everton next weekend.
Club reports
Fulham report | Bournemouth report
Next PL fixtures
Key facts
Ouattara’s 89th minute equaliser was Bournemouth’s 10 goal scored in the final five minutes of Premier League matches this season (86th minute onwards), at least three more than any other side.
Fulham have dropped a league-high 19 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, which is also their most in a single campaign since 2012-13 (23).
All six of Jimenez’s Premier League goals this season have put Fulham 1-0 up – only Chris Wood (8) has scored the opening goal of a match more often in the competition this term.
Harry Wilson has scored five goals in 15 Premier League appearances for Fulham this season (4 starts), one more than he netted in 35 matches in the competition last term (4).