Enes Unal scored on his first Premier League start for Bournemouth as the Cherries beat below-par Brighton to reach their highest top-flight points total.
Marcos Senesi’s 13th-minute header gave Andoni Iraola’s side the lead, nodding in from three yards after the visitors failed to clear a corner.
Turkey striker Unal dragged wide in the first half, but scored his second goal since joining on loan from Getafe in January when he cleverly headed Dango Ouattara’s cross into the far corner after the break.
The impressive Justin Kluivert sealed the win when he drove at the Brighton defence late on and drilled home a left-footed strike for his third goal in three home games.
Brighton were lacklustre throughout and failed to create many meaningful chances – coming closest when Simon Adingra’s effort was tipped over the bar by Mark Travers.
The victory moves Bournemouth to 48 points – two more than their previous best top-flight haul in 2016-17.
Brighton remain 12th and have now won just six of their past 28 league games.
Their season is in danger of petering out in a campaign that has bucked the trend of their recent impressive progress.
More to follow.
How to play
Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
Rating range key = Give it up = Pure perfection
AFC Bournemouth
Starting XI
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Squad number42Player nameTravers
Average rating7.50
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Squad number15Player nameA Smith
Average rating6.43
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Squad number25Player nameSenesi
Average rating6.90
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Squad number5Player nameKelly
Average rating6.62
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Squad number11Player nameOuattara
Average rating6.62
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Squad number24Player nameSemenyo
Average rating7.22
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Squad number14Player nameScott
Average rating7.35
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Squad number4Player nameL Cook
Average rating6.60
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Squad number19Player nameKluivert
Average rating7.01
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Squad number26Player nameÜnal
Average rating6.86
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Squad number9Player nameSolanke
Average rating7.34
Substitutes
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Squad number10Player nameChristie
Average rating7.74
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Squad number23Player nameHill
Average rating7.43
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Squad number37Player nameAarons
Average rating6.91
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Squad number49Player nameSadi
Average rating7.09
Brighton & Hove Albion
Starting XI
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Squad number1Player nameVerbruggen
Average rating5.21
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Squad number42Player nameOffiah
Average rating5.03
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Squad number5Player nameDunk
Average rating6.15
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Squad number3Player nameIgor Julio
Average rating4.68
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Squad number19Player nameBarco
Average rating5.44
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Squad number13Player nameGroß
Average rating5.18
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Squad number11Player nameGilmour
Average rating6.09
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Squad number40Player nameBuonanotte
Average rating5.21
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Squad number9Player nameJoão Pedro
Average rating5.43
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Squad number24Player nameAdingra
Average rating4.94
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Squad number55Player nameO’Mahony
Average rating6.15
Substitutes
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Squad number4Player nameWebster
Average rating4.51
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Squad number10Player nameEnciso
Average rating4.45
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Squad number18Player nameWelbeck
Average rating4.94
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Squad number20Player nameBaleba
Average rating4.54
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Squad number34Player nameVeltman
Average rating4.46
Line-ups
Bournemouth
Formation 4-4-2
- 42Travers
- 15A Smith
- 25SenesiBooked at 8minsSubstituted forHillat 90+1′minutes
- 5Kelly
- 11Ouattara
- 24SemenyoSubstituted forat 90+7′minutes
- 14ScottSubstituted forAaronsat 77′minutes
- 4L Cook
- 19KluivertBooked at 57minsSubstituted forSadiat 90+2′minutes
- 26ÜnalSubstituted forChristieat 67′minutes
- 9Solanke
Substitutes
- 1Neto
- 10Christie
- 23Hill
- 37Aarons
- 46McKenna
- 48Kinsey
- 49Sadi
- 50Dacosta Gonzalez
Brighton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Verbruggen
- 42OffiahSubstituted forVeltmanat 74′minutes
- 5Dunk
- 3dos Santos de PauloSubstituted forWebsterat 74′minutes
- 19BarcoBooked at 66mins
- 13Groß
- 11GilmourBooked at 59mins
- 40Buonanotte
- 9João PedroSubstituted forBalebaat 88′minutes
- 24AdingraSubstituted forEncisoat 66′minutes
- 55O’MahonySubstituted forWelbeckat 45′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Webster
- 10Enciso
- 14Lallana
- 15Moder
- 18Welbeck
- 20Baleba
- 23Steele
- 31Ansu Fati
- 34Veltman
- Referee:
- Paul Tierney
- Attendance:
- 11,188
Match Stats
Live Text
Match ends, Bournemouth 3, Brighton and Hove Albion 0.