Scott's Clinical Finish and Semenyo's Spot-Kick Composure Tame Brighton's Comeback Bid

Très Divertissant Score Futmetrix: 70/100. Bournemouth weathered Balance chaos and a penalty-kick narrative to edge a Brighton side fighting for Premier League footing.

When Early Dominance Met Mid-Match Disruption

Alex Scott struck in the 18th minute—a clinical finish off Antoine Semenyo's assist—and the Cherries looked primed to cruise. Bournemouth's Intensity was suffocating early, 13 shots to Brighton's trickle. But Brighton emerged from halftime with teeth. Kaoru Mitoma's 48th-minute equalizer, set up by Yankuba Minteh, flipped the script. Suddenly, the Stakes tightened. A team fighting relegation form (four games, one win) had clawed back.

Then came the turning point: the 61st-minute penalty. Semenyo stepped up with ice water in his veins, converting to restore Bournemouth's lead. The Balance shifted again—three lead changes across 90 minutes, a pendulum that never settled. Brighton pressed but couldn't find the breakthrough. Bournemouth's defensive resolve, tested by a barrage of eight yellow cards and constant pressure, held firm.

The Numbers Tell a Story of Tactical Tension

Bournemouth dominated the shot count (13 to 6) and expected goals (1.45 vs 0.62), yet the scoreline barely reflected that superiority. Brighton's goalkeeper made three saves to Bournemouth's one—a reminder that clinical finishing matters more than volume. The Cherries' 51% possession masked their directness; they didn't need the ball to win it.

For Bournemouth, this victory extends an unbeaten run to three wins in four games. For Brighton, the defeat compounds a season spiraling toward the bottom half. The Stakes of this fixture—Bournemouth fighting to stay among the elite, Brighton scrapping to avoid the drop zone—gave every moment weight, even if the football wasn't always fluid.