Enes Unal scored on his first Premier League start for Bournemouth as the Cherries beat below-par Brighton to reach their highest top-flight points total.
Marcos Senesi’s 13th-minute header gave Andoni Iraola’s side the lead, nodding in from three yards after the visitors failed to clear a corner.
Turkey striker Unal dragged wide in the first half, but scored his second goal since joining on loan from Getafe in January when he cleverly headed Dango Ouattara’s cross into the far corner after the break.
The impressive Justin Kluivert sealed the win when he drove at the Brighton defence late on and drilled a left-footed strike past Bart Verbruggen for his third goal in three home games.
Brighton were lacklustre throughout and failed to create many meaningful chances – coming closest when Simon Adingra’s effort was tipped over the bar by Mark Travers.
There was concern late on for Bournemouth though, with winger Antoine Semenyo carried off on a stretcher with a suspected knee injury.
The victory moves the Cherries to 48 points – two more than their previous best top-flight haul in 2016-17.
Iraola told BBC Match of the Day: “We are really, really happy. The players deserve these points. They have performed really well.
“Even when we weren’t getting points at the start of the season they were pushing and playing well. Now we want more points and to continue.”
He also confirmed Unal’s loan will become a permanent deal, saying: “We are very happy, especially with his attitude and how he is integrating on and off the pitch. It is a very good signing for us.”
Brighton remain 12th and have now won just six of their past 28 league games.
Their season is in danger of petering out in a campaign that has bucked the trend of their recent impressive progress.
Two sides continue on opposite trajectories
When Bournemouth started the Premier League season without a win in their opening nine games, the decision to part ways with Gary O’Neil and appoint Iraola – who had no experience in England – was questioned.
Those questions have been well and truly answered as the season has gone on.
They were excellent again on Sunday, playing with pace and creativity, and arguably should have won by a greater margin in the end.
Unal’s first-half miss was a huge chance and Kluivert hit the side netting when he should have squared early in the second.
Iraola’s side have taken 45 points from their past 26 games and if they could achieve that ratio over a full campaign then they would be challenging for the European places.
For all of Bournemouth’s brilliance, Brighton were poor.
There is plenty of noise around Roberto de Zerbi’s future at the club and the Italian cut a disconsolate figure on the touchline at times.
He was slouched in his seat after Bournemouth’s opener and looked miserable and frustrated as the game wore on.
Brighton made seven changes from their 4-0 thrashing by Manchester City in midweek, with the experienced Danny Welbeck and Adam Lallana dropping to the bench, including first Premier League starts for 21-year-old defender Odel Offiah and 19-year-old striker Mark O’Mahony.
De Zerbi’s side had 13 shots across the game but just one on target and while they are hampered by injuries, their run since September has seen only Burnley, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United win fewer matches.
They have issues to resolve over the coming weeks ahead of next season – the biggest is whether De Zerbi will remain in the dugout.
De Zerbi told BBC Match of the Day: “We have to play much better than we are playing. We would like to give more and more but maybe in this moment it is tough for us.
“We prepared the game well but our best at the moment is not enough.
“I have big confidence in my players. I know how they feel when we lose a game. We lose together and we have keep going together.”
Player of the match
TraversMark Travers
AFC Bournemouth
-
Squad number42Player nameTravers
-
Squad number10Player nameChristie
-
Squad number14Player nameScott
-
Squad number9Player nameSolanke
-
Squad number23Player nameHill
-
Squad number24Player nameSemenyo
-
Squad number49Player nameSadi
-
Squad number19Player nameKluivert
-
Squad number37Player nameAarons
-
Squad number25Player nameSenesi
-
Squad number26Player nameÃœnal
-
Squad number4Player nameL Cook
-
Squad number5Player nameKelly
-
Squad number11Player nameOuattara
-
Squad number15Player nameA Smith
Brighton & Hove Albion
-
Squad number11Player nameGilmour
-
Squad number5Player nameDunk
-
Squad number55Player nameO’Mahony
-
Squad number19Player nameBarco
-
Squad number9Player nameJoão Pedro
-
Squad number1Player nameVerbruggen
-
Squad number13Player nameGroß
-
Squad number40Player nameBuonanotte
-
Squad number42Player nameOffiah
-
Squad number18Player nameWelbeck
-
Squad number24Player nameAdingra
-
Squad number3Player nameIgor Julio
-
Squad number4Player nameWebster
-
Squad number34Player nameVeltman
-
Squad number20Player nameBaleba
-
Squad number10Player nameEnciso
Line-ups
Bournemouth
Formation 4-4-2
- 42Travers
- 15A Smith
- 25SenesiBooked at 8minsSubstituted forHillat 90+1′minutes
- 5Kelly
- 11Ouattara
- 24SemenyoSubstituted forat 90+7′minutes
- 14ScottSubstituted forAaronsat 77′minutes
- 4L Cook
- 19KluivertBooked at 57minsSubstituted forSadiat 90+2′minutes
- 26ÃœnalSubstituted forChristieat 67′minutes
- 9Solanke
Substitutes
- 1Neto
- 10Christie
- 23Hill
- 37Aarons
- 46McKenna
- 48Kinsey
- 49Sadi
- 50Dacosta Gonzalez
Brighton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Verbruggen
- 42OffiahSubstituted forVeltmanat 74′minutes
- 5Dunk
- 3dos Santos de PauloSubstituted forWebsterat 74′minutes
- 19BarcoBooked at 66mins
- 13Groß
- 11GilmourBooked at 59mins
- 40Buonanotte
- 9João PedroSubstituted forBalebaat 88′minutes
- 24AdingraSubstituted forEncisoat 66′minutes
- 55O’MahonySubstituted forWelbeckat 45′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Webster
- 10Enciso
- 14Lallana
- 15Moder
- 18Welbeck
- 20Baleba
- 23Steele
- 31Ansu Fati
- 34Veltman
- Referee:
- Paul Tierney
- Attendance:
- 11,188
Live Text
-
Match ends, Bournemouth 3, Brighton and Hove Albion 0.
-
Second Half ends, Bournemouth 3, Brighton and Hove Albion 0.
-
Antoine Semenyo went off injured after Bournemouth had used all subs.
-
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
-
Delay in match because of an injury Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth).
-
Substitution, Bournemouth. Dominic Sadi replaces Justin Kluivert.
-
Substitution, Bournemouth. James Hill replaces Marcos Senesi.
-
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Joël Veltman.
-
Foul by Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton and Hove Albion).
-
Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
-
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Carlos Baleba replaces João Pedro.
-
Goal! Bournemouth 3, Brighton and Hove Albion 0. Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ryan Christie following a fast break.
-
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Joël Veltman.
-
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Lewis Dunk.
-
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Adam Webster.
-
Attempt blocked. Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Antoine Semenyo with a cross.
-
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
-
Delay in match because of an injury Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth).
-
Substitution, Bournemouth. Max Aarons replaces Alex Scott.
-
Attempt missed. Adam Smith (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Ryan Christie.