Bournemouth | Superior Cherries seal home win

Bournemouth 2 - 1 Brighton & Hove Albion

Bournemouth made their superiority count with a hard-fought Premier League victory over Brighton.

Author | Jamie Peters

Stadium | Vitality Stadium

The breakthrough came in the first half when Alex Scott produced a fine finish, turning neatly on the edge of the area before driving low inside the near post after good hold-up play from Antoine Semenyo.

Brighton were unsettled by early injuries to Jack Hinshelwood and Maxim de Cuyper and struggled to impose themselves before the interval. They were much improved after the restart, however, and Kaoru Mitoma equalised with a precise header at the back post from Yankuba Minteh’s cross.

Despite that response, Brighton’s play remained ragged and they soon fell behind again. Semenyo converted from the penalty spot after Evanilson was brought down by Jan Paul van Hecke.

The visitors never found the fluency required to mount a second comeback, and Bournemouth held firm to secure the points.

Which players stood out for the home side?

Marcos Senesi: The Argentine has been excellent in the past three games for the Cherries, and he was good again on Saturday. With a young, inexperienced centre-back alongside him, he marshalled the defence and guided Milosavljevic through the game, while also impressing in his own right.

Veljko Milosavljevic: A superb debut for the Serbian. One of the biggest compliments you could pay him is that he did not look like an 18-year-old playing his first Premier League game. He appeared calm, composed and solid, and provided a real physical presence.

Alex Scott: Undoubtedly man of the match. Scott was outstanding, producing his best performance of the season so far. His brilliantly taken goal was his first in a Cherries shirt since January 2024.

The Brighton perspective 

Brighton’s hopes were dented by the loss of two players and the concession of an early goal, leaving them sluggish and unable to establish any rhythm for long spells.

They showed flashes of threat after the interval and managed to draw level, yet Bournemouth retained control and always looked the more likely side to prevail.

The penalty that restored the home side’s lead summed up Brighton’s difficulties. Lewis Dunk’s misplaced pass invited a counterattack and Jan Paul van Hecke then offered Evanilson the chance to draw a foul with a careless challenge.

There were a few positives for Fabian Hurzeler to take, not least the tireless efforts of Yankuba Minteh, but they were limited. Two enforced early substitutions disrupted his plans and ruled out the sweeping quadruple change that had proved decisive in the win against Manchester City.

This time Brighton lacked sharpness and fluency, and their opponents carried far greater energy throughout.