Bournemouth 0-0 Southampton
There are a couple of interesting games that occurred in the Premier League, and one of those was the Bournemouth-Southampton game.
This match was looked upon by plenty of SBOBET punters as a game the Cherries should have easily won. After all, they were just coming off such an impressive result against Javi Gracia and the Wolves.
What happened at Vitality Stadium, however, was a nervy draw between two sides wherein attempts were made but not enough quality was on display. This was surely one of the most curious Premier League 2018 results of the week, and this is the game Eddie Howe and the Cherries will rue to have not won.
Highlights of the game
Both sides have flirted with half chances early but weren’t able to turn those opportunities into actual goals. Bournemouth threatened plenty of times whenever a run would be started from the right by the impressive David Brooks, but the young Wales star’s shot wasn’t able to really threaten Alex McCarthy.
Nathan Redmond was also having a strong first half. He had a chance to give the Saints an early lead with a free-kick attempt early in the game. However, the former Norwich man’s attempt was yards above the intended target.
There was a bit of a tension in the stands when an aerial duel between Charlie Austin and Nathan Ake ended in with them in a clash of heads. Austin needed a physio to treat his head, but everyone on the pitch knew that it was nothing but an accident. Both star players acknowledged each other.
Both teams looked dangerous whenever they had the ball and were on the attack. Bournemouth’s speedy forwards gave Southampton defenders a bit of a workout, but Redmond, Austin and Danny Ings were troublesome players on their own.
Austin had the first real chance at a goal when he beat Ake for a long ball and was on a one-on-one with Asmir Begovic. While he could have just chipped the ball over the former Chelsea stopper, he instead decided to get past the keeper. His heavy touch saw the ball out of bounds.
The Cherries didn’t wait long for them to strike with their own chance, though. A quick counter saw Adam Smith pass the ball to Ryan Fraser. The Scotland international then dashed down the wings and set up a beautiful cross in front of the goal for Callum Wilson to tap into. However, the forward was just a step too late, and a Southampton man kicked the ball away for a throw-in.
Bournemouth ended the first half with much more positivity as the midfield began connecting and threatening with consecutive attacks down the wings. While the fans at Vitality Stadium are frustrated with the Cherries’ lack of goals, they trust Eddie Howe to be able to make the right chances at the half.
Bournemouth came out of the tunnel with more attacking intent. Both Fraser and Brooks showcased the quality that got them to the top half of the Premier League table. Unfortunately, miscommunication between players and subpar technique stopped Bournemouth from converting those attacks to actual scoring chances.
The Cherries find another great chance in the 63rd minute when substitute Junior Stanislas started a blitzing run from the left. He then made a through pass to Wilson, who then attracted the defence before making a cross to Joshua King. King, the star in Bournemouth’s dominant win over Watford, made a poor shot attempt and saw the ball fly extremely wide of the left post.
Southampton had their chances every now and then, and they looked dangerous whenever they had the opportunity. A right-wing attack ended in a scramble that saw Emile Hojbjerg with the football from past 25 yards. He made a long shot that forced Begovic to make an impressive save.
The best chance the Cherries had at an opening goal was during the 73rd-minute corner. Nathan Ake jumped out of the defence and fired a powerful header towards the goal. Unfortunately for the Vitality Court crowd, the ball went straight to the Southampton keeper.
As the game reached the final ten minutes of the game, the Bournemouth defence began cracking and making mistakes. They have begun losing the ball in dangerous areas, and the Saints have looked like they will score. They almost scored when a single Saints shirt was with the ball in front of the goal in the 84th minute. Fortunately for them, Begovic was playing a fine game.
Bournemouth tried reversing the tide late in the match with a free-kick and a corner deep into stoppage time. However, the Southampton backline was just too solid. Manolo Gabbiadini almost stole the game with a very late winner, but his header just flew above the goal to end the game in a frustrating draw.
Key statistics
Only Manchester City and Chelsea have had more shot attempts than Southampton at this point of the Premier League season. However, it is obvious in Southampton’s position in the table that they aren’t most clinical attacking side in the league.
Southampton played an impressive defensive game against the Cherries, completing 18 tackles and stopping the hosts’ speedy wing play by committing 14 fouls and getting two bookings.
Meanwhile, the Cherries were also wasteful on the attack as only two of their ten shot attempts were on target. Six of those were far from challenging the keeper while two were blocked. They also weren’t able to make the most out of their 18 free kicks and six corner attempts.
What’s next?
Bournemouth will try to make up for their shortcomings by trying to beat Fulham at the Cottage. While they are still likely the favourites of various Premier League 2018 odds, they should know better than to sit on their laurels.
Meanwhile, Southampton will have a crack at victory when they welcome bottom-feeders Newcastle United to St. Mary’s Stadium. Given the solid defence they have played against the Cherries, there’s no wonder about their chances here.
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