Solanke’s swagger
Bournemouth have enlivened the Premier League since coming up four seasons ago. A small town club who had never played in the top flight before, the Cherries have always done more than make up the numbers. In Eddie Howe, they were also marshalled by that rare thing, a young English manager with an identifiable attacking philosophy. Bournemouth’s rise led some to wonder if we were watching a managerial great in the making. (Less well known but perhaps equally important is Howe’s partnership with his number two, Jason Tindall. Great managerial machines are often duos).
Bournemouth’s attacking principles have been a strength but also a weakness. Their determination to have a go has often made them easy meat for the bigger teams, and also led to several worrying winless runs.
This season it has looked as if the tide might be finally going out on the Cherries first stay in the top tier. They have spent a lot of time hanging around the bottom three, and their post lockdown form has been miserable. In five games since the restart, they have collected only one point against Spurs, leaving them 6 points from safety when Leicester arrived this weekend. It didn’t help that the visitors had everything to play for themselves, needing to shore up a top four place that had once looked assured.
One nil down at half time, things looked bleak for Bournemouth. Early in the second half they had some attacking ball but did not look dangerous. The only faint hope came when Söyüncü nudged a Bournemouth attacker in the back on the edge of the box. The sort of cynical challenge that really should be given as a penalty but rarely is.
Then Leicester hit the self-destruct button. A misplaced goal kick from Schmeichel bumped off Ndidi just outside the box. The Leicester player tried to recover but could only give away a penalty. Junior Stanislas soaked up the pressure and slotted it down the middle.
90 seconds later, a ball over the top put Dominic Solanke in on the left. His side foot shot had just enough to get past Schmeichel. It was a good time for Solanke to score, especially given he had not managed a single league goal in his 38 games for the club so far.
There was more drama. As Solanke’s shot had dribbled into the net, Söyüncü found himself in a tangle with Callum Wilson. Söyüncü’s petulant kick at the Bournemouth attacker resulted in a red card. After 90 seconds of hapless madness, Leicester were a goal down and a man down. The boilover was on.
Solanke had swagger now, showing some neat footwork on the right and nutmegging Smeichel to add Bournemouth’s third. Stanislas also made his own luck. Slaloming into the box, his shot pinged off Evans and into the net. At 4-1 the rout was complete.
