Dango Ouattara scored a hat-trick to end Nottingham Forest’s eight-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League as AFC Bournemouth thrashed the third-placed team 5-0 on Saturday.
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Justin Kluivert continued his recent hot streak to open the scoring at the Vitality Stadium, netting his fifth goal in three top-flight match in the ninth minute.
The Cherries moved further in front shortly after the restart when Kluivert clipped a delicate ball into the box for Ouattara to loop a header over Matz Sels, before skipping past Murillo to score again six minutes later.
And the result was sealed soon after when Ouattara capitalised on a mistake from Sels, with Antoine Semenyo adding some gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time.
The triumph moves Andoni Iraola’s side up to sixth in the standings, while Forest remain third, but now sit nine points behind leaders Liverpool.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
22 | +33 | 53 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
23 | +23 | 47 |
| 3 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
23 | +6 | 44 |
| 4 |
Man City
MCI
|
23 | +17 | 41 |
| 5 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
23 | +14 | 41 |
| 6 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
23 | +15 | 40 |
| 7 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
23 | +15 | 40 |
How the match unfolded
The hosts were ahead early on following a swift counter-attack, with Kluivert allowed time and space before firing into the bottom left-hand corner from the edge of the box.
But Forest almost got themselves level less than a minute later when Ryan Yates saw his bouncing volley saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga, with Morgan Gibbs-White also going close.
Bournemouth’s dominance was eventually rewarded 10 minutes after the break when Ouattara met Kluivert’s cross into the area with a guided header over Sels.
Kluivert thought he had grabbed his second when he combined with Ouattara, though the goal was awarded on-pitch, it was overturned following a VAR review, with the latter in an offside position.
The Cherries, however, were not to be denied a third goal, with Ouattara notching his second of the match following a dazzling run that ended with an assured finish.
The 22-year-old grabbed his hat-trick three minutes from time, reacting first to Marcus Tavernier’s spilled effort from Sels, before Semenyo slotted in a fine finish to round things off.
Cherry on the cake
Bournemouth’s quest for European football continued in stunning fashion, making light work of a defence that has rarely been breached in the Premier League this season.
Ryan Christie called Sels into first-half action before David Brooks curled his effort narrowly wide as Bournemouth responded positively after overcoming a wave of Forest pressure in reply to their opener.
But for all the plaudits their attack has received this season, their success has been built from the back, with Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi forming an excellent partnership in central defence. The Cherries have not lost a game since the pair first played together 10 games ago.
That solid base allowed the hosts to flourish in the second half, with Ouattara and Kluivert impressing once again, while there were also two assists in midfield from Tyler Adams, with the Cherries looking a complete outfit under Iraola.
Semenyo’s brilliantly taken finish late on after a relatively quiet encounter further highlighted Bournemouth’s quality all over the pitch, with European football a real possibility for them this season.
The Cherries will be tested by one of the division’s top teams once again next week, welcoming league leaders Liverpool to the Vitality Stadium next Saturday.
Forest falter on the South Coast
Just under three years ago, Forest lost 1-0 to Bournemouth at the Vitality, sealing the Cherries’ promotion to the Premier League, and they endured another difficult outing on the South coast.
Forest threatened to open the scoring in the first minute when Anthony Elanga stung the palms of Kepa but allowed their opponents to take control of the opening stages, which resulted in Kluivert putting the Cherries ahead with relative ease after not being closed down.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side rarely troubled Bournemouth’s defence for much of the contest, with Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has been a pivotal figure in their attack this season, missing from the contest, with his pace and precision in the final third playing its part in their second-half collapse.
Elanga had the visitors’ best efforts after the break, striking the crossbar on two occasions, first with a free-kick that clipped the upright before cannoning an effort from the edge of the box and onto the woodwork.
Though their latest defeat is not too big of a concern, the chasing pack in the race for the top four edged ever closer to them. Forest will be hoping to return to winning ways against Brighton & Hove Albion in their next Premier League assignment.
Club reports
Bournemouth report | Forest report
What the managers said
Andoni Iraola: "We knew we were facing a very good team on a very good run. To score first was key. Most of the last games they have been winning from the first half. The goal at the beginning helped us and made the game look better for us."
Nuno Espirito Santo: "We are unbalanced and we didn't defend well. In the second half we tried to correct things and put things right, but we didn't react. The second half was very bad. We have to realise the things we did well until now, we have to do it. When we don't do those things we are a very fragile team."
Next PL fixtures
Key facts
Bournemouth are unbeaten in each of their last 11 Premier League games (W7 D4) – extending their longest run without defeat in the competition. Meanwhile, the Cherries have recorded their biggest victory in the top-flight since April 2019 (5-0 vs Brighton).
Forest have conceded three or more goals in each of their last four Premier League defeats (14 goals combined), while they have suffered their biggest defeat in the competition since a 5-0 loss away at Fulham in December 2023.
Kluivert has scored 11 Premier League goals for Bournemouth this season, the most by a Dutch player across a single campaign in the competition since 2015-16 (Georginio Wijnaldum for Newcastle).
Ouattara become the first African player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League for Bournemouth, while the Cherries have struck three trebles in the competition this season – as many as in their previous six top-flight campaigns combined. Ouattara was also the first hat-trick scorer from Burkino Faso in the Premier League.
