Bournemouth have set an unwanted Premier League record after a 2-2 home draw with Brentford. Marco Rose's side have become the first team in the competition's history to lead in each of their opening four fixtures without winning any of them.
The result leaves Bournemouth 15th in the Premier League standings with three points from four games. They have scored six goals but conceded seven, leaving them with a negative goal difference early in the season. The team's recent form shows they have taken just one point from a possible nine since their opening-day draw, a run that includes conceding goals in the 52nd and 90th minutes in their previous match. This inability to hold a lead has directly impacted their position in the table.
Kevin Schade gave Brentford the lead after 34 minutes, but Justin Kluivert levelled for the Cherries just four minutes later. Marcus Tavernier, the club's top scorer this season with three goals according to the official stats page, then turned the game around shortly after half-time with a 52nd-minute strike. However, a costly error from goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic allowed Schade to score his second and secure a point for the visitors. Ben Gannon-Doak hit the woodwork in stoppage time as Bournemouth pushed for a late winner.
Manager Marco Rose remained upbeat despite the frustrating outcome. "We were behind for the first time this season, we reacted well, and lucky me, we didn't concede a late goal," Rose said. "We had more chances, more possession, we were the best team."
Assistant manager Tommy Andrews offered a more critical assessment. "I thought we could have done better," Andrews said. "We did not hit the levels we set for ourselves."
The draw extends Bournemouth's unbeaten top-flight record against Brentford to nine matches. Attention now turns to a demanding fixtures list, starting with Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium. The Cherries famously beat Liverpool 3-2 in their last meeting in January, and they will need a similar performance to secure a first league win of the campaign. Rose will be hoping his squad, which can be viewed in detail on the club's squad page, can find the resilience to finally convert a promising position into a full three points.
The report in full is at ca.sports.yahoo.com
