VAR drama as Cherries beat Burnley to move out of bottom three
Despite midweek rumours that Andoni Iraola would be the first PL manager of the season to be sacked, the Cherries’ boss remained in the dugout for the visit of Burnley, as both sides looked to move clear of the relegation zone in an early season six-pointer.
The hosts started brightly in the opening exchanges, but it was the Clarets who took the lead in the 12th minute, as Charlie Taylor picked up a half-cleared corner on the edge of the box and fired a rasping drive beyond Ionuț Radu for his first goal since 2015.
Undeterred by that early setback, Bournemouth went in pursuit of an immediate response, and after Marcus Tavernier spurned a glorious chance from close range, the Cherries found a deserved leveller through Antoine Semenyo.
Having dispossessed Taylor in midfield, the winger raced towards goal and picked out the bottom corner with a neat finish across James Trafford. The end-to-end nature of the contest continued up until half-time, with the best chance falling to Chris Mepham, who saw his powerful header parried away by Trafford.
Bournemouth carried their momentum into the early stages of the second half, but clear-cut opportunities came at a premium as the influential Semenyo had a low strike thwarted by Trafford. Only fellow newly-promoted side Sheffield United had conceded more league goals than Burnley coming into the match, and with 14 minutes remaining, their frailty at the back was exposed once again.
Picking the ball up 40 yards from goal, Philip Billing spotted Trafford inexplicably off his line, and the Cherries’ midfielder lifted a sublime effort over the Burnley keeper to give Bournemouth a crucial lead.
Desperate to salvage a late point, the Clarets thought they’d found a dramatic equaliser in the 89th minute, but Jay Rodriguez’s strike was disallowed for a marginal offside after a farcical five-minute VAR review.
Grateful for that reprieve, the hosts regained their composure and held firm during the closing stages to secure a well-deserved three points, ending a run of four consecutive H2H defeats on home soil.
As for Burnley, they’ll be desperate to bounce back in the Carabao Cup against Everton in midweek after losing eight of their opening 10 PL matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)
