Dango Ouattara scored a hat-trick to end Nottingham Forest’s eight-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League as AFC Bournemouth eased to a 5-0 victory on Saturday.

Justin Kluivert continued his recent hot streak to open the scoring at the Vitality Stadium, netting his fifth goal in three top-flight games 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.

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 game 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 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 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

Match officials

Referee: Craig Pawson. Assistants: Scott Ledger, Mark Scholes. Fourth official: Steve Martin. VAR: Andy Madley. Assistant VAR: Simon Long.