Bournemouth ease past Fulham to move into top 10
With boss Andoni Iraola consigned to the stands, the hosts enjoyed the better of an attritional first half that lacked quality.
Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo was the star of the show, making important interventions to deflect Dominic Solanke’s strike wide, before a last-ditch block prevented Justin Kluivert a clear sight at goal.
A stroke of fortune then almost handed the Cherries the lead, but despite initially being deceived by Dango Ouattara’s miskewed cross, Bernd Leno scrambled across his goal to turn it round the post.
Just as it appeared that Marco Silva’s men would make it through to the interval on level terms, Alex Scott took the game by the scruff of the neck to make a telling impact.
Driving forward through midfield, the Englishman released Kluivert, whose low strike squirmed underneath Leno to ensure Bournemouth were ahead at HT.
On the hour mark, the Cottagers’ deficit was doubled after João Palhinha’s clumsy challenge on Antoine Semenyo inside the area gave Bournemouth a penalty - their first since April 2022.
Solanke converted on that occasion, just as he did here, coolly sending Leno the wrong way to tighten the Cherries’ grip on proceedings.
Home goalkeeper Neto remained a bystander for large periods of the game, as Fulham had no answer to the Bournemouth barrage.
Things could’ve been worse for the visitors, too, after they survived a review for another penalty following Antonee Robinson’s clumsy challenge on Kluivert.
Introductions from the bench did little to inspire the visitors, who slumped to a third consecutive PL defeat without scoring - a concerning slide since recording back-to-back 5-0 wins.
Luis Sinisterra added a spectacular third for Bournemouth, cutting in from the left before slamming into the top corner to add some real gloss to the scoreline.
The Cherries have taken 19 points from the last available 21 - more than any other side in the division in that time, as they upheld a strong recent H2H record that’s seen them lose just one of the last 13 H2Hs.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Alex Scott (Bournemouth)
