Cooper earns first league win at Leicester with victory over Bournemouth
In a vibrant opening to the match, Facundo Buonanotte had already tested Kepa in the Bournemouth goal by the time he gave his side the lead with his own brand of aggressive, direct attacking play. A smart pass from James Justin allowed the Argentine midfielder to find space in the box, and with a drop of the shoulder, he breezed past his man and hammered a strike into the roof of the net.
The game continued to flow back and forth with neither defence looking completely comfortable, but it was the hosts who were on top.
Referee Darren Bond waved away a penalty claim after the ball hit Illya Zabarnyi on the arm in the Bournemouth box, but it was the normally reliable Jamie Vardy who spurned the best chance to double the Foxes’ lead. Once again Buonanotte was given space to drive forward and play Vardy in, but the veteran striker dragged his finish a long way wide of the post.
It was the first time Steve Cooper’s men had been leading at HT at home this season, but Bournemouth have already shown a penchant for a comeback this term, and early in the second half, they were unlucky not to be level.
First Zabarnyi hit the post from a header before Ryan Christie forced Mads Hermansen to tip wide a curling shot. From the resulting corner, Dango Ouattara missed the best chance of the lot, directing his header wide from six yards out.
The Bournemouth bombardment continued throughout the second half, with the men from the South Coast thinking they had found an equaliser when Lewis Cook’s free-kick evaded everyone and curled into the far corner, only for the assistant’s flag to spoil their celebrations.
Substitute Luis Sinisterra was causing havoc for the Leicester defence, and it was his chipped cross that left Ouattara with a header at goal from two yards, but the winger could only rattle the woodwork and waste the Cherries’ final chance to salvage a point.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Wout Faes (Leicester City)
