The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Bournemouth

  • Bournemouth sign midfielder Toth for £10.4m

    Bournemouth sign midfielder Toth for £10.4m

    Bournemouth have signed Hungary midfielder Alex Toth for £10.4m from Ferencvaros.

    The deal for the 20-year-old, who has joined the Cherries on a five-and-a-half year contract, includes a possible £2.6m in add-ons for the Hungarian club and 10% of any future sale.

    Benfica, Galatasaray and Lazio are also understood to have been keen on Toth, who has nine caps for his country.

    “When I knew AFC Bournemouth were first interested in me, I was excited and happy because this is a good club in the Premier League, the best league in the world and the strongest league,” said Toth.

    “The whole club, the whole structure is great.”

    The defensive midfielder has played all his club football in Hungary and spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Soroksar.

    Read Also: EPL: Bournemouth beat Tottenham 3-2 with Semenyo’s last-minute strike

    He made his debut for Ferencvaros in December 2024 and has featured 52 times for the league champions, scoring four goals.

    “He has come from a club that is used to competing at the highest level in Hungary, while also featuring in Europe, so we’re excited about what he can bring to us in Bournemouth as he continues to develop further under the coaching of Andoni [Iraola],” said Bournemouth‘s head of football operations Tiago Pinto.

    Toth is Bournemouth‘s third signing of the January window following the arrivals of goalkeeper Fraser Forster and defender Ade Solanke.

  • EPL: Bournemouth beat Tottenham 3-2 with Semenyo’s last-minute strike

    EPL: Bournemouth beat Tottenham 3-2 with Semenyo’s last-minute strike

    Antoine Semenyo struck a stunning late winner in what is likely his final game for Bournemouth as they beat Tottenham in dramatic fashion at Vitality Stadium.

    With the game finely poised at 2-2, Semenyo, who is expected to join Manchester City this week, struck from outside the box to beat Djordje Petrovic and end the Cherries’ 11-game winless run in style.

    Mathys Tel had struck inside five minutes to give Spurs the perfect start.

    Picking up a backheel pass from the returning Xavi Simons near the left touchline, the French winger drove past James Hill into the box and neatly finished low past Petrovic into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.

    But their lead only lasted 17 minutes as Evanilson headed home from a Marcus Tavernier cross to lift the mood at the Vitality.

    Read Also: AFCON 2025: CBN handling direct payment of Super Eagles’ allowances-NFF

    Bournemouth turned the game on its head when Tavernier was afforded space again on the right to cross and Marcos Senesi cut the ball back for Eli Junior Kroupi to score his seventh goal of the season in the 36th minute.

    Second-half substitute Richarlison saw his header strike the woodwork following a corner, before referee Darren England pointed to the penalty spot after Micky van de Ven’s marauding run from his own half.

    However, the decision was overturned after a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention, with Hill’s contact on the Spurs centre-back deemed not enough to warrant a spot-kick.

    The visitors then found the leveller in the 78th minute when Senesi’s defensive header from a corner fell to Palhinha to produce a stunning overhead kick past Petrovic.

    But Semenyo had the final say in his farewell game with an emotional winner in the 95th minute.

    Bournemouth have 27 points after 21 games following their sixth win of the season and are only one point behind Spurs.

    BBC

  • EPL: Declan Rice scores twice as Arsenal edge Bournemouth 3-2

    EPL: Declan Rice scores twice as Arsenal edge Bournemouth 3-2

    Declan Rice scored twice as Premier League leaders Arsenal came from behind to beat Bournemouth.

    Gunners centre-back Gabriel played a blind pass across his box to gift Evanilson the opening goal for the Cherries.

    But he made up for that with the equaliser as he lashed in a rebound after Gabriel Martinelli’s shot had been blocked.

    Bournemouth had chances to go ahead but Rice’s shot from the edge of the box, from Martin Odegaard’s lay-off, gave Arsenal the lead.

    Read Also: AFCON 2025: Senegal defeat Sudan 3–1 to advance to quarter final

    The England midfielder, back from a knee injury, netted again following a cutback by substitute Bukayo Saka.

    Teenager Eli Junior Kroupi gave Bournemouth renewed hope with a fine strike from outside the area – but they could not find a leveller.

    Antoine Semenyo, playing perhaps his final game for Bournemouth before a £65m move to Manchester City, was quiet throughout.

    The victory takes Mikel Arteta’s team six points clear of second-placed Aston Villa, although Manchester City can close the gap back to four points when they host managerless Chelsea on Sunday (17:30 GMT).

    BBC

  • EPL: Chelsea’s Delap injured in drab goalless draw at Bournemouth

    EPL: Chelsea’s Delap injured in drab goalless draw at Bournemouth

    Chelsea striker Liam Delap injured his shoulder during a drab 0-0 draw at Bournemouth in the Premier League.

    Delap appeared to dislocate his shoulder after pulling down Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi while defending a corner.

    The England Under-21 international was replaced by teenager Marc Guiu after a series of physical duels with Senesi, who also later went off injured after overstretching for the ball in the second half.

    Both sides struggled in attack despite Chelsea recalling forward Cole Palmer, and the draw was a fair result. Palmer lasted 58 minutes in his first start since 20 September, having suffered a groin injury before fracturing his toe in an accident at home in November.

    Bournemouth thought they had scored in the fifth minute when forward Antoine Semenyo reacted quickest to finish from close range after Evanilson’s blocked attempt. However, Evanilson was marginally offside in the build-up and the goal was ruled out by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

    The hosts were the better side in the first half, with Semenyo showing why there is transfer interest from top clubs in January, by forcing a save with a long-range effort and almost setting up a tap-in for Evanilson.

    Marcus Tavernier and Alex Jimenez then came close for Chelsea before Marc Cucurella headed just over from Pedro Neto’s cross in the 21st minute. Delap then had a shot blocked before going off injured.

    Chelsea began to dominate after the break, with Alejandro Garnacho heading against the post. But most of their efforts came from outside the box, including shots from Neto, Palmer, Guiu and Enzo Fernandez.

    Both teams made attacking changes, with Bournemouth introducing attacking midfielders David Brooks and Amine Adli alongside striker Enes Unal, while Chelsea brought on Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian.

    Bournemouth held on comfortably but rarely threatened in the second half, apart from Semenyo’s dribble and shot that drew a good save from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Senesi’s withdrawal also disrupted their momentum.

    Andoni Iraola’s side will be pleased despite being now six matches without a win, while Chelsea are winless in three, denting talk of a potential title challenge.

  • Bournemouth’s Semenyo has £65m January release clause

    Bournemouth’s Semenyo has £65m January release clause

    Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his contract that can be activated during the first two weeks of the January transfer window, BBC Sport has been told.

    The Ghana international attracted interest from several clubs including Manchester United and Tottenham in the summer only for the 25-year-old to sign a new five-year deal at Vitality Stadium on 1 July.

    However, BBC Sport has learned that his new contract contains a release clause of £65m that can be triggered in the first two weeks of the winter transfer window in order to allow Bournemouth enough time to replace their star player.

    The winter transfer window opens on Thursday, 1 January 2026 for Premier League and English Football League (EFL) clubs and closes at 19:00 GMT on Monday, 2 February.

    Semenyo has been in excellent form in the Premier League this season, scoring six goals and providing three assists in 11 appearances for Andoni Iraola’s side.

    Last season he hit double figures for the first time in his career – 11 goals in the league and 13 in all competitions.

    Read Also: EPL: Bournemouth fight back as Semenyo shines in 3–1 victory over Fulham

    Londoner Semenyo qualifies for Ghana through his father.

    He was rejected by Arsenal, Spurs and Millwall as a youngster before joining the football programme at SGS College in Bristol, run by former Leeds and Forest Green Rovers manager Dave Hockaday.

    Bristol City signed him in 2017 but he needed loan spells at Bath, Newport and Sunderland before breaking into the Robins first team during the 2020-21 season.

    In January 2023 he made a £10m move to Bournemouth and has been improving ever since.

    Semenyo’s goals helped Bournemouth finish ninth last season but they sold three of their back four – Illia Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen – for almost £150m during the summer.

    They also failed to make goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan move from Chelsea permanent, with the Spaniard joining Arsenal instead – but keeping hold of Semenyo has proved vital for the club this season.

  • EPL: Mateta hat-trick grabs Palace draw with Bournemouth

    EPL: Mateta hat-trick grabs Palace draw with Bournemouth

    Jean-Philippe Mateta scored a hat-trick, including a stoppage-time penalty, as Crystal Palace fought back from two goals down to draw with Bournemouth in a six-goal thriller at Selhurst Park.

    In an incredible finish, Mateta completed his treble in the 97th minute after Marc Guehi had been wrestled to the ground by Bournemouth’s Bafode Diakite as a left-wing corner was being taken.

    There was still time for further drama but Mateta, who has now scored seven goals for the Eagles this season, blazed a potentially match-winning chance over the bar in the ninth minute of stoppage time.

    Teenage striker Eli Kroupi, 19, had earlier scored twice on his first Premier League start as Bournemouth were on course for a victory that would have taken them temporarily top of the table.

    Mateta scored twice in a five-minute spell to make it 2-2, before Ryan Christie restored Bournemouth’s lead in the 89th minute, but it was not enough for the victory.

    Read Also: EPL: Mateta strikes late as Palace deny Chelsea victory

    It continued a great spell in Mateta’s career as he made his France debut on 10 October against Azerbaijan and then scored his first international goal three days later in a 2-2 draw with Iceland.

    Palace are now eighth in the Premier League, while Bournemouth are fourth.

    The Cherries would have moved top with the three points, though they would have then been ousted if Arsenal, who began the day top, avoided defeat in their late game at Fulham.

    BBC

  • EPL: Bournemouth fight back as Semenyo shines in 3–1 victory over Fulham

    EPL: Bournemouth fight back as Semenyo shines in 3–1 victory over Fulham

    Antoine Semenyo scored twice as Bournemouth came from behind to beat Fulham in stormy conditions and move up to second in the Premier League table.

    Ryan Sessegnon had given Fulham the lead when he ran onto a through ball from Samuel Chukwueze before clipping the ball over Cherries keeper Djordje Petrovic.

    But Bournemouth levelled when Semenyo got the ball on the left wing, beat several players and stopped the ball going over the byeline before slotting a shot through Bernd Leno’s legs from a tight angle.

    Read Also: Chelle names Ekong, Iwobi, Osimhen, others for crucial  World Cup qualifiers

    Then substitute Justin Kluivert got the ball in the centre circle, charged forward and unleashed an unstoppable strike from 25 yards to put Bournemouth ahead.

    As Fulham pushed forward for an equaliser in stoppage time, Semenyo capped a superb individual night with his second goal – to go with an assist – after finishing off an emphatic counter-attack.

    Until the 70th minute, the game looked as if it was going to end in an instantly forgettable goalless draw as both sides struggled to create much in the wind and rain of Storm Amy.

    Bournemouth are now second in the Premier League table, just one point below Liverpool – although everyone else has yet to play this weekend.

  • EPL: Kroupi’s late strike earns Bournemouth 2-2 draw at Leeds

    EPL: Kroupi’s late strike earns Bournemouth 2-2 draw at Leeds

    Eli Kroupi scored a stoppage-time equaliser to salvage a Premier League point for Bournemouth at Leeds United.

    Antoine Semenyo gave the visitors the lead in the first half with his fourth goal of the season, his well-taken free-kick from the edge of the box fizzing beyond Karl Darlow.

    But Leeds quickly fired back when Joe Rodon rose highest to head home Sean Longstaff’s corner with Petrovic beaten by a deflection on the way through.

    Read Also: EPL: Brighton beat 10-man Chelsea 3-1 in dramatic comeback win

    Longstaff turned from provider to scorer after the break when he volleyed home brilliantly from the edge of the box to put the home side in front for the first time.

    Leeds defended valiantly after taking the lead but were undone in stoppage time by a well-taken volley from Kroupi.

    The draw moves Bournemouth up to third in the table, while Leeds are in eleventh.

    BBC Sports

  • Bournemouth beat Brighton in hard-fought win

    Bournemouth beat Brighton in hard-fought win

    Bournemouth made the most of their superior quality to grind out a hard-fought Premier League win against Brighton at Vitality Stadium.

    The hosts took the lead through a wonderful Alex Scott strike in the first half, with Scott turning and firing inside the near post after Antoine Semenyo did well to hold up the ball and tee him up on the edge of the area.

    Brighton were shaken by early injuries to Jack Hinshelwood and Maxim de Cuyper and struggled to find their groove in the first half.

    Read Also: Bournemouth agree £25m deal for Liverpool’s Doak

    But they immediately improved after the break and Kaoro Mitoma levelled the score when, unmarked at the back post, he leaped to head home a Yankuba Minteh cross.

    Brighton’s display was better in the second half but there was still sloppiness and they were soon behind again when Semenyo slotted in from the penalty spot after Evanilson was brought down by Jan Paul van Hecke.

  • EPL: Bournemouth end Spurs’ unbeaten start

    EPL: Bournemouth end Spurs’ unbeaten start

    Evanilson’s early goal earned dominant Bournemouth a richly deserved victory at Tottenham, whose impressive Premier League start under Thomas Frank came to an unceremonious end.

    The Cherries were frustrated to be knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brentford in midweek but were full of energy and invention against Spurs, doing to their opponents what Frank’s side inflicted on Manchester City last weekend.

    As they did at home to Wolves last Saturday, Bournemouth took the lead with their first attack of the game as Marco Senesi picked out Evanilson, whose low shot looped off Cristian Romero and over goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

    The visitors should have been out of sight early in the second half after creating a succession of opportunities to add to their advantage, but a combination of poor finishing and smart goalkeeping helped keep Spurs in the game.

    Read Also: Bournemouth agree £25m deal for Liverpool’s Doak

    Antoine Semenyo headed narrowly over the crossbar five minutes after Evanilson’s opener, while David Brooks was denied by the crossbar early in the second half.

    The hosts’ first shot on target – a Lucas Bergvall drive from the edge of the box in the 68th minute – flew straight at Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, while Mathys Tel’s sweetly struck volley in second-half stoppage time was the closest they came to salvaging a point they scarcely deserved.

    The win moves Bournemouth level on points with Spurs, with both teams having won two of their opening three league matches.