Bournemouth celebrated their highest points total in the Premier League era with a commanding 3-0 victory over Brighton on Sunday, securing 48 points with three games remaining, surpassing their previous best of 46 points achieved in the 2016-17 season.
Despite Brighton dominating possession in the first half, Bournemouth took the lead in the 13th minute when Marcos Senesi capitalized on a corner, heading home to put the hosts ahead. Brighton struggled to create clear chances, managing only one shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
Enes Ünal, making his first Premier League start this season, doubled Bournemouth’s lead seven minutes into the second half with a powerful looping header from Dango Ouattara’s cross. Brighton substitute Julio Enciso came close to pulling one back, but his efforts went wide and narrowly missed the target.
Justin Kluivert sealed the victory for Bournemouth with a superb individual effort, embarking on a brilliant run down the right flank before cutting inside and firing past the goalkeeper. The win extended Brighton’s winless league run to six games.
Despite winger Antoine Semenyo leaving the field on a stretcher in stoppage time, Bournemouth defender Adam Smith praised the team’s performance and credited coach Andoni Iraola for their success this season.
“It is the most talented group we’ve had here in years. It is a great result and amazing to beat our points total, that was our aim,” Smith told Sky Sports, acknowledging the team’s achievement.
Smith also commended coach Andoni Iraola for his impact since taking charge in June 2023, guiding Bournemouth to a remarkable improvement from their 15th-place finish last season.
“He’s been amazing. It was a transition when he first came in, and we struggled in the first 10 games to get a grip on how he wanted to play. As soon as we got to grips with it, we went on a run and haven’t looked back since,” Smith remarked, highlighting Iraola’s influence on the team’s performance and cohesion.
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