Bournemouth secured their first back-to-back home wins since January with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday. Goals from Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson sealed the three points after Sunderland defender Kevin Danso was sent off early in the first half.
Tavernier opened the scoring after just six minutes, heading home from an Evanilson cross. The goal was his 22nd in the Premier League, and a remarkable 14 of those have been match openers. That gives him the highest percentage of opening goals among all players with 20 or more in the competition's history.
The match's key moment arrived in the 17th minute when Danso was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on Evanilson. The dismissal left the visitors with a mountain to climb for over 70 minutes. Evanilson doubled the lead shortly after half-time, capitalising on a poor backpass from Omar Alderete to finish with a sharp turn.
Bournemouth head coach Marco Rose told reporters he was pleased with how his team used their numerical advantage. He said the players had to use the momentum after the red card and was happy Evanilson rewarded himself with a goal. Rose also revealed he has been settling in well on the south coast, having binge-watched the Netflix series Sunderland 'Til I Die to learn about the club's history.
Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris admitted it was a bad day for his side, who have now lost four league games in a row. He said the performance was not the best version of Sunderland and that the team had a very clear desire to respond after their heavy defeat to Chelsea the previous Friday.
The win moves Bournemouth up to 15th in the Premier League table with six points from their opening seven matches. Their recent form shows two wins from their last two games, following a 3-0 victory over Sturm Graz in the Europa Conference League. Tavernier's goal was his third of the season, making him the club's top scorer so far.
Bournemouth now face a tough away trip to Old Trafford to play Manchester United on 25 October. United are currently 13th in the standings, setting up a key mid-table clash.
The report in full is at bbc.co.uk
