Evanilson Breaks Goal Drought as Bournemouth Thrash Southampton
Bournemouth’s record signing Evanilson finally broke his goal drought for the club, sparking a three-goal blitz that propelled the Cherries to a 3-1 victory over Southampton on Monday. The Brazilian international’s 17th-minute strike ignited a dominant first-half performance from Bournemouth, with Dango Ouattara and Antoine Semenyo adding to the tally before the break.
Evanilson’s goal was a welcome relief for the 40 million pounds striker, who had endured a difficult start to his Bournemouth career. He had missed a penalty in the Cherries’ previous home game against Chelsea, but he made amends with a clinical finish on Monday.
“It is a goal we’ve been expecting of Evanilson,” said Bournemouth assistant manager Tommy Elphick. “He is so intelligent and makes such cute runs. We haven’t been finding him enough so I’m pleased for him.”
Ouattara doubled Bournemouth’s lead just six minutes later, deflecting Lewis Cook’s shot past Aaron Ramsdale. Semenyo then put the game beyond Southampton’s reach with a fierce drive in the 39th minute.
Southampton, who had dominated possession in the first half, pulled a goal back through Taylor Harwood-Bellis early in the second half. However, it was too little, too late for the Saints, who remain in the bottom three of the Premier League.
“I am so hurt by the first-half performance after the first goal. I didn’t recognise our team,” said Southampton manager Russell Martin. “There was no aggression or courage. They were looking around and in self-preservation mode on the pitch. I didn’t like it one bit. They showed fight in the second half, but it was too late.”
Bournemouth’s victory lifted them above Manchester United into 11th place in the Premier League standings. It was their second win of the campaign, while Southampton remain winless after six games.
The gulf between the Championship and the Premier League continues to widen, with all three promoted sides struggling to make an impact in the top tier. Ipswich and Leicester have also failed to register a win in their opening six league matches.