When Ivan Juric promised Southampton fans “heavy metal football” at St Mary’s after replacing Russell Martin as manager in December, most supporters were hoping it would be their team that would see a lift in style and results. And while glimpses of attacking threat were on display against Bournemouth, it was ultimately the visitors who, with a 3-1 win, displayed the fluid and dynamic play their opposition had been promised.
Andoni Iraola’s side won two corners seconds after kick-off which was the beginning of early dominance. Their opener came after 14 minutes when Ryan Christie found Dango Ouattara, who cleverly managed to time his run onside and deftly head home for his seventh Premier League goal of the season. Two minutes later, Justin Kluivert found Christie in space near the edge of the box and while the Southampton defenders watched, expecting each other to engage, the Scot lashed a shot into the bottom corner past a fully stretched Aaron Ramsdale.
Southampton often struggled to get up the pitch and were so easily pinned back, but the rare times they managed to bypass Bournemouth’s midfield, there were glimmers of attacking intent that looked promising. A rare chance saw Welington and Kamaldeen Sulemana combine before the latter’s cross in the box almost found Paul Onuachu. Juric opted for two changes at the break: Lesley Ugochukwu and Yuki Sugawara replacing Nathan Wood and Welington, as Joe Aribo slotted into the back line. The changes left fewer gaping holes in the midfield and early in the second half an Onuachu turn with the drop of the shoulder might have got the hosts on the board if it was not for a well-timed Illia Zabarnyi sliding tackle.
In the 54th minute, Antoine Semenyo’s solo effort almost gave the visitors their third, his sparkling feet weaving through three defenders before his effort was parried by Ramsdale. The Southampton goalkeeper clawed Christie’s header out from the resulting corner, with goalline technology showing it was millimetres from going in. Bournemouth took their foot off the gas midway through the second half and the hosts used the opportunity to find a lifeline. Aribo won the ball off of the substitute Marcus Tavernier before playing it towards Onuachu. His deft pass found Sulemana, who smashed it low and hard for his first league goal of the season.
The hosts, rejuvenated by the home crowds’ emphatic response, pushed hard for an equaliser but the quality of Bournemouth shone through, as Tavernier’s smashing goal late on squashed any late nerves for the visitors. Sign up to Football Daily. Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football. after newsletter promotion. The win marks their first-ever league double over Southampton in the 15th campaign which they have met and while Europe, let alone top four, would have been a pipe dream at the beginning of the campaign, Iraola’s side proved they are serious contenders as the league’s most improved side.
