Here’s Ben Fisher’s report.
Dominic Solanke speaks.
All the boys are over the moon. We knew the last few weeks have been difficult. Today we went all out. I am just happy [the goals] came now. Today the boys were on fire. Once you get a goal youget a lot of adrenbaime. I got two good chances. And I managed to put them away. We didn’t have anything to lose. We went a bit more attacking. And it worked.
Timely.
1 - Bournemouth have won a Premier League game after trailing at half time for the first time since August 2018 (versus West Ham) – the Cherries were winless in their last 28 matches in which they had trailed at the break prior to today (D2 L26). Character. #BOULEI pic.twitter.com/fdFuWowsXD
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 12, 2020
Bournemouth are three points off West Ham and Watford at the bottom. Leicester may drop out of the top four for the first time since September if Manchester United beat Southampton tomorrow night. All eyes on Switzerland, Manchester City and CAS for them. That table is hotting up. Project Restart was a good idea after all?
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 35 | 49 | 93 |
| 2 | Man City | 35 | 57 | 72 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 35 | 14 | 60 |
| 4 | Leicester | 35 | 29 | 59 |
| 5 | Man Utd | 34 | 26 | 58 |
| 6 | Wolverhampton | 35 | 11 | 55 |
| 7 | Sheff Utd | 35 | 5 | 54 |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 35 | 9 | 52 |
| 9 | Arsenal | 35 | 7 | 50 |
| 10 | Burnley | 35 | -8 | 50 |
| 11 | Everton | 35 | -11 | 45 |
| 12 | Southampton | 34 | -13 | 44 |
| 13 | Newcastle | 35 | -16 | 43 |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 35 | -15 | 42 |
| 15 | Brighton | 35 | -16 | 36 |
| 16 | West Ham | 35 | -15 | 34 |
| 17 | Watford | 35 | -21 | 34 |
| 18 | AFC Bournemouth | 35 | -24 | 31 |
| 19 | Aston Villa | 35 | -27 | 30 |
| 20 | Norwich | 35 | -41 | 21 |
Stephen Carr - that Stephen Carr? - has this to say: “This is another example of Brendan Rodgers’ inability to set his team up mentally. So fragile.”
Peter Oh, well done: “Is this turning into the Bournemouth Supremacy?!”
Full-time: Bournemouth 4-1 Leicester
Bournemouth were hopeless and hapless in the first half but their ineptitude was no match for Leicester’s second-half collapse, featuring horrible defending, a lack of energy and a loss of discipline through Soyoncu, and that came *after* a goal. Credit to Bournemouth, though. They fight on.
90+5 min: What the devil has happened to Leicester?
90+4 min: Close again! The more likely scorer looks Bournemouth. Kasper Schmeichel almost got caught out with another silly pass. And Sam Surridge steals in past a sleeping Evans to hit the post.
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90+2 min: Since Bournemouth equalised, it is difficult to recall a single Leicester attack. They have a raft of good attacking players who have been watching their defence fall apart.
90 min: Six minutes of added time.
89 min: This has been one of the oddest matches in memory. Each of the five goals has resulted from utterly hilarious defending. A final Bournemouth change? Off comes Callum Wilson, and on comes Sam Surridge.
Goal! Bournemouth 4-1 Leicester (Solanke, 87)
Again, that was laid on a plate for him by Leicester. They made a mess of a throw and the newly prolific Solanke stole and in and placed it past Schmeichel.
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87 min: Junior Stanislas booked for timewasting. He needn’t have bothered. Leicester have got nothing here.
85 min: Leicester’s collapse has been amazing. We thought Bournemouth looked woebegone in the first half but they have fallen apart completely. Evans was unlucky for the goal - which he has been credited with - but he and his teammates have been playing like a drain.
Goal! Bournemouth 3-1 Leicester (Evans OG, 83)
That may be an Evans own-goal. In fact, it was. Stanislas cut in from the wing and his shot comes off Evans and Schmeichel is unsighted.
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82 min: Leicester try and get back into this. Losing a man seems to have thrown them completely.
81 min: Lewis Cook replaces Brooks, and will try and bolster midfield with his hard work.
80 min: Schmeichel partially redeems himself by being quick to recognise the danger of a Brooks ball. Brooks has been excellent, but it’s time for him to come off. There are shades of Darren Anderton from him, in more ways than one.
79 min: Billing continues to be in the wars. He wins a free-kick and then his team-mates will take their time over taking it. Leicester can’t find a foothold back in this game.
77 min: Some good pressing by Bournemouth has Leicester scrabbling back. This is a complete reversal of what came before. David Brooks bamboozles Christian Fuchs, but then looks a little tired. He’s doing stretches. Bournemouth will need him if they are to stay up.
75 min: Since all that kerfuffle, this game has been somewhat shapeless. Both teams look shocked by what went on there. Now, do Bournemouth try and sit on it?
73 min: Well done, Dom.
1 - Dominic Solanke has scored his first Premier League goal for Bournemouth with what was his 37th attempt in the competition for the Cherries (39th appearance). Relief. #BOULEI pic.twitter.com/y9AqJWcfRB
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 12, 2020
72 min: While Leicester are responsible, Bournemouth got back in because Eddie Howe made positive changes and as he has always done. Maybe he’s not lost it just yet. It’s Brendan Rodgers’ turn to look nonplussed.
70 min: That was, frankly, bonkers. What a five minutes that was. And suddenly West Ham and Watford don’t feel so nearly so calm as they did. Soyuncu lost his head while Kasper Schmeichel has dropped a pair of ricks. Leicester’s woes are great news for Chelsea and Manchester United.
Red card! Soyuncu (68)
Referee Stuart Attwell has sent off Soyuncu for lashing out in frustration as Callum Wilson crowded him while that goal was going in. Wow wow wow!
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Goal! Bournemouth 2-1 Leicester (Solanke, 68)
What’s this? More Leicester chaos. Solanke presented with the chance to score, and he did so. Wow!
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67 min. Well well. Well. Well indeed. Leicester went to sleep there, completely. Credit to Callum Wilson and Stanislas for keeping calm.
Goal! Bournemouth 1-1 Leicester (Stanislas, 66 pen)
Stanislas sends Schmeichel the wrong way. Somehow, Bournemouth are back in this.
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Penalty to Bournemouth!
Schmeichel’s clearance went straight to Callum Wilson and he’s brought down by Ndidi. Only a yellow card for the Nigerian.
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63 min: Perez carves out some space and then Tielemans has a shot blocked. Leicester not quite as vigorous as they were in the first half.
61 min: The ball is pinged in by Stanislas and Evans does well to beat Solanke to the it. It’s all a bit hopeful from Bournemouth.
59 min: Free-kick for Bournemouth and they should have scored. Leicester couldn’t get it away. The ball span across goal and Callum Wilson was too slow to the chance. He just didn’t smell it.
57 min: Eddie Howe is deep in conversation with right-hand man Jason Tindall. Both of their faces betray anxiety. Billing meanwhile, has taken a blow to the sternum from Ryan Bennett. He’ll be OK, if winded.
55 min: More belated subs news: Junior Stanislas is on for Danjuma. It looks like Gosling and Danjuma paid for their part in that Vardy goal. Paul Sheppard is back for more: “You’d look crestfallen if you were replaced by Billing. I hope he makes me eat my words...”
52 min: Perez is released by Vardy to fire in a shot that warms the hands of Ramsdale.
51 min: Apologies, this Leicester change was missed. Iheanacho had been ok, too, so maybe that’s an injury.
We've made our second substitution 🔄#BouLei pic.twitter.com/VIAR8wcdAh
— Leicester City (@LCFC) July 12, 2020
49 min: Bournemouth haven’t exactly gone for the b of the bang here. In fact, Leicester look just as comfortable as before...but here’s Brooks. Good ball that Wilson should have done better with.
47 min: Dan Gosling is gone, replaced at half-time by Philip Billing. Up in the stands, Gosling looks not a little crestfallen.
46 min: Off back we go. 45 minutes to save Eddie Howe and Bournemouth.
It’s...Jamie Vardy.
16 - Premier League top scorer Jamie Vardy has scored in 16 games this season, only Danny Ings (17) has scored in more. Tidy. #BOULEI pic.twitter.com/6i3oF8m8fH
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 12, 2020
Peter Oh is here too. “With Villa winning today and time running out, you might call this home match the Bournemouth Ultimatum.”
Think they missed the memo.
Justin Kavanagh has it right: “Bournemouth look about as organized as eleven toddlers having a kickabout with a beachball on a summer’s evening. What has happened to Eddie Howe’s men?“
JR in Illinois calls in: “I’m going to be watching the second half from behind my couch with my hands over my eyes just peeking between my fingers and I’m not even a Bournemouth fan. I’m scared for them.”
Paul Sheppard, Bournemouth fan, has his say: “As a Cherries fan I have to agree that something is very much awry and has been for some time. The goal was obviously farcical and Leiscester are negating the Brooks threat by doubling up on him but the Danjuma pass to Vardy was more symptomatic of the problems. He did not seem overly concerned by his catastrophic error that has put our best player out of the game and more worryingly none of his team mates bollocked him for the mistake. There you have our season in a nutshell.”
Half-time: Bournemouth 0-1 Leicester
It cannot be long until the last rites are read on Bournemouth judging by that half. Leicester pounced as Dan Gosling began a run of errors and it was Vardy who scored. This would be a good win for Leicester. Should they find a next goal soon then Bournemouth’s fate is all but sealed.
45+4 min: It’s all Leicester in this time added on. Just as it has been for most of the half.
45+3 min: Justin forces a corner off Rico. Tielemans takes and Lerna heads away. Justin’s cross comes in and it forces Ramsdale to palm behind. The next corner comes short to Fuchs and then Vardy was queuing up. It’s deflected behind.
45 min: There will be five minutes of time added on. Five minutes in which Eddie Howe must compose himself....ah, here’s his team at last. Brooks cuts and fires a shot that Schmeichel saves well. That was Bournemouth’s best moment of the half. Not that there’s been a high level of competition.
44 min: Gosling at least looks up for it, though he has already been booked. The rest of Bournemouth’s midfield has been a void.
42 min: Brooks shows off his skills but is crowded out. Leicester just seem to want it more. Brooks had nobody backing him up. This is a shame.
40 min: Ake goes off. And that looked bad. On comes Steve Cook. This has been a dismal night so far for Bournemouth. For Leicester, Ndidi tries a volley. He is no Mark Hughes and it flies high and behind.
38 min: More chaos from Bournemouth, and costly perhaps too. Nathan Ake has to clear the danger as Danjuma gives the ball away and the Dutchman comes back to stop a Jamie Vardy shot. Ake is down. If he’s out, then it’s probably curtains. He looks to have hurt his groin. And that looks a season-ender.
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36 min: A promising move for Leicester, a swift interchange, breaks down when Justin cannot beat the first man with his ball into the centre.
33 min: Slightly better from Bournemouth as Solanke gets a cross in as Wilson clears the ball. It was, though, very slow. And the vigour is shown in stark relief by how hard Vardy and Iheanacho work to close down their opposing defenders in possession.
Updated
32 min: Dan Gosling now booked for a loose foul in midfield. It has not been a happy first half for him.
30 min: The ball is looped forwards by Bournemouth and Jonny Evans, with nobody near him, sweeps up with ease. Eventually, Iheanancho has another shot. He clearly fancies getting one.
28 min: Iheanacho has a shot on goal. Leicester beginning to queue up here. This could get ugly for Bournemouth.
27 min: As if Gosling’s evening could get any worse he takes rap to the head. He’s OK to continue but clearly in some discomfort, now physically as well as mentally.
25 min: That felt like a significant moment, a pointer to Bournemouth’s downfall. They were hapless. And there hasn’t been much spirit in evidence.
Goal! Bournemouth 0-1 Leicester (Vardy, 24)
That was chaos from Bournemouth. Gosling lost it, and then Iheanacho speeds down the wing. The ball comes in and Vardy is far more alert after Kelly makes a terrible hash of a clearance. Vardy bundles in from about 50cm out.
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23 min: Soyuncu does well as the ball is launched at Wilson. That immediately puts Bournemouth on to the back foot. Eventually, a half-chance comes the way of Vardy but the ball squirms to Ramsdale. Leicester looking the likelier by far.
21 min: The stats suggests that Bournemouth have had one touch in the opposition box as opposed to Leicester’s ten. This just does not look like the Bournemouth who have delighted down their years in the Premier League. Something’s awry.
19 min: Vardy scampers away down the right and gets a cross in. Nathan Ake clears the danger when Iheanacho fancied that one. Ramsdale was not in a good position and Ake bailed him out.
17 min: A Bournemouth attack comes to not much as Brooks is crowded out in the corner. He’s looked most likely though his fitness may not last too much beyond half-time.
16 min: Off comes Albrighton, with what looks a hip injury and Ryan Bennett will replace him.
14 min: Marc Albrighton is down, and painfully so by the looks of it. He’s receiving treatment as the players take a drinks break almost ten minutes ahead of schedule.
12 min: The time it takes Rico to take a throw-in and find a colleague suggests a team not on the right wavelength. There’s something about Bournemouth.
10 min: Near-calamity for Bournemouth as Rico heads down in his own box, casual as you like and almost spills it for Perez. In the circumstances, it was foolhardy. The target was Lerna who was completely unaware this was the plan.
8 min: Leicester string some passes together at last. Bournemouth sit deep and clear the ball but don’t put too much pressure on Soyunc and Evans. The ball is launched long and there’s an error from Ramsdale which leads to a corner. From that, Perez collects a loose pass and drifts his shot over the bar.
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6 min: Iheanacho dispossessed by Gosling who scuttles forward. Danjuma on the left flank has been lively so far.
4 min: Not much sign of a Leicester quick start. Not as yet in any case. Bournemouth starting brighter. Diego Rico’s cross comes in and Wilson just fails to get there.
3 min: Early flash from David Brooks, of whom much is required. On his unfavoured right foot he wafts a cross that Callum Wilson cannot get to.
1 min: It’s a lovely summer’s evening on the South Coast, conditions completely unsuited to football come to think of it.
And away we go...
The music playing as the teams get in formation is Opus’ Live Is Life, as they pay a minute’s silence tribute to Jack Charlton, who would approve of the song’s sentiment.
The teams are making their way from the tunnel, with Kanye West blaring out.
Brendan Rodgers speaks, and he’s a little more relaxed.
It’s equal pressure. Both teams for differing reasons will want to win the game. We always talk about making a quick start to the game.
Eddie Howe speaks and he looks tense.
This is of huge importance. We were very very pleased with our performance against Tottenham. We have to show the same mentality. Josh [King] picked up a hamstring problem and it’s another opportunity for Dominic Solanke and Callum Wilson. It was hugely positive [against Tottenham]. We really grafted and competed. We kept a clean sheet and created chances. We need all this qualities. Leicester are a very good team.
The final match in this historic quadruple header of Premier League football is not far away. And it’s live! Etc Etc Etc.
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Here’s David Hytner’s match report from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It’s been a horror run for Howe and Bournemouth.
9 - Bournemouth have failed to win any of their last nine games in the Premier League (D2 L7); their longest winless run in the competition. Crunch. #BOULEI pic.twitter.com/ueN3M2zvXo
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 12, 2020
Tottenham have just beaten Arsenal, who did an Arsenal, which used to be called a Tottenham. All the reaction here from Rob Smyth.
This result made Bournemouth’s chances of escaping relegation just a little bit harder.
And for Leicester.
TEAM NEWS: Brendan Rodgers makes one change to the side to take on Bournemouth this evening - Fuchs in for Bennett that sees the Foxes revert to a flat back four.
— BBC Leicester Sport (@BBCRLSport) July 12, 2020
Maddison and Chilwell are both absent again through injury pic.twitter.com/YZFFRlt6J7
Here’s what’s changed for Bournemouth.
🚨 TEAM NEWS 🚨
— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) July 12, 2020
🔺 Jack Stacey, Dom Solanke and Arnaut Danjuma in
🔺 Adam Smith misses out due to concussion protocol
🔺 Joshua King absent with minor hamstring injury
Follow us LIVE 💻 https://t.co/oI1hXAvatD#BOULEI // #afcb 🍒 pic.twitter.com/nKY8jCxV99
Here’s the Premier League table to remind what each club is playing for.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 35 | 49 | 93 |
| 2 | Man City | 35 | 57 | 72 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 35 | 14 | 60 |
| 4 | Leicester | 34 | 32 | 59 |
| 5 | Man Utd | 34 | 26 | 58 |
| 6 | Wolverhampton | 35 | 11 | 55 |
| 7 | Sheff Utd | 35 | 5 | 54 |
| 8 | Arsenal | 35 | 8 | 51 |
| 9 | Tottenham Hotspur | 35 | 8 | 50 |
| 10 | Burnley | 35 | -8 | 50 |
| 11 | Everton | 35 | -11 | 45 |
| 12 | Southampton | 34 | -13 | 44 |
| 13 | Newcastle | 35 | -16 | 43 |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 35 | -15 | 42 |
| 15 | Brighton | 35 | -16 | 36 |
| 16 | West Ham | 35 | -15 | 34 |
| 17 | Watford | 35 | -21 | 34 |
| 18 | Aston Villa | 35 | -27 | 30 |
| 19 | AFC Bournemouth | 34 | -27 | 28 |
| 20 | Norwich | 35 | -41 | 21 |
The teams
AFC Bournemouth: Ramsdale, Stacey, Ake, Kelly, Rico, Brooks, Gosling, Lerma, Danjuma, Solanke, Callum Wilson.
Subs: Boruc, Steve Cook, Surman, Lewis Cook, Stanislas, Harry Wilson, Simpson, Billing, Surridge.
Leicester: Schmeichel, Soyuncu, Evans, Fuchs, Justin, Ndidi, Tielemans, Albrighton, Perez, Iheanacho, Vardy.
Subs: Morgan, Gray, Ward, Barnes, Choudhury, James, Mendy, Praet, Bennett.
Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
Preamble
Like Aston Villa earlier today, Bournemouth really need to win this one. And like Villa they need to find some goals from somewhere. They were the better team against Tottenham in midweek but all they got was a goalless draw and a single point. And even if that was their first point since the resumption it still wasn’t good enough. Eddie Howe has been making vague noises about not being around this season so this match, should it be lost, is a truly vital fixture in the history of AFCB.
Leicester, meanwhile, can be thankful that Chelsea had one against Sheffield United yesterday but lose this and Manchester United have chance to climb above them in the table when they play Southampton tomorrow night. Jamie Vardy is back in the goals which is very bad news for Bournemouth.
Plenty to play for amid the purgatorial state of being that is Project Restart.
7pm kick-off. Join me!
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