Report: Saints beaten by first-half blitz

The visitors were unbeaten in six trips to the Vitality Stadium, winning the last three without conceding a goal, but that record was extinguished by a first period that started brightly but soon evaporated.

Evanilson’s first goal in English football gave the hosts the lead when Saints switched off from a quickly-taken free-kick, before Dango Ouattara’s fortuitous second was quickly followed by Antoine Semenyo’s low drive.

Russell Martin responded with a triple substitution at the interval, which initially had the desired effect when Taylor Harwood-Bellis put a dent in Bournemouth’s cushion.

Ben Brereton Díaz, one of the half-time replacements, twice threatened to reduce the deficit further, but Saints were unable to set up a grandstand finish.

Martin made two changes to his starting line-up as Saints went in search of a first Premier League win since their top-flight return.

That included a first league start for the club for Maxwel Cornet and a second for Lesley Ugochukwu, as Cameron Archer dropped to the bench along with Adam Lallana, who was once on Bournemouth’s books before making his name as a Saint.

Perhaps the most intriguing name on the teamsheet was that of Ryan Fraser, who was loudly booed every time he touched the ball on his first return to the Vitality Stadium since his acrimonious 2020 departure.

But Fraser was involved in two bright moments inside the opening six minutes, fired up by his hostile recaption, as Saints settled quickest.

First he combined well with Ugochukwu, spearing a pass down the line with the outside of his boot for the tall Frenchman, who glided deep into Bournemouth territory and cut the ball back to the edge of the box for Cornet, whose shot looked goalbound until Marcos Senesi intervened with an important block.

Maxwel Cornet's early shot deflected narrowly wide of the target

Then goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was forced into a hurried clearance by Milos Kerkez and only succeeded in picking out Fraser, for whom the ball sat up nicely to hit a sweet strike that sent the Chelsea loanee plunging to his right to gather.

Tyler Dibling was looking sharp too, showing some neat touches and fleet of foot to slip away from defenders from a more central role, as the 18-year-old continues to grow as a first-team player.

But despite all the early encouragement, it was Bournemouth who struck first. After Flynn Downes was penalised for a foul 40 yards from goal, Saints switched off, allowing Marcus Tavernier to catch eyes with Evanilson.

It was quick thinking from the hosts, who took full advantage when Tavernier took the free-kick before Saints had set themselves, lifting the ball over the top for the striker to slide in and guide it past former home favourite Aaron Ramsdale to make the breakthrough.

Things might have got worse had Charlie Taylor not spotted the run of Tavernier soon after, just reaching a low cross in front of the winger to make a crucial clearance inside the six-yard box.

The home crowd were pumped up, and their mood only improved when Lewis Cook flattened Fraser.

Bournemouth had their tails up, as Ramsdale was tested by Tavernier’s 25-yard drive, before Saints were stung once more.

Semenyo turned inside too easily in the box to set up Cook, whose shot lacked conviction but deceived Ramsdale via a touch off Ouattara, who fortuitously claimed the goal, leaving Saints lamenting how their sweet start had turned quite so sour.

Things went from bad to worse when Semenyo added Bournemouth’s third with a goal that was all his own work.

Coming inside from the right, he shaped to shoot with his left foot and sold a dummy to three Saints players, affording him space to drive a low right-footed drive across Ramsdale’s dive to find the far corner, as everything the Cherries hit found the net.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis celebrates his first Premier League goal

Martin’s response was a triple change at the break, as Ugochukwu, Fraser and Cornet departed, replaced by Joe Aribo, Ross Stewart and Brereton Díaz.

It seemed to have the desired effect as Saints won a free-kick near the left corner of the box, Fernandes swung in a cross and Harwood-Bellis stooped to head home within six minutes of the restart.

Stewart headed over and Brereton Díaz drilled one wide as the small section of Saints fans crammed into one corner of the Vitality Stadium sensed the tide might be turning.

Ramsdale had to be alert to keep out Evanilson as Saints committed more bodies forward, before Martin turned to Lallana for more control with 20 minutes to go.

With Lallana directing the traffic, Saints looked more threatening. Harwood-Bellis swung in a cross that had Kepa scrambling, while Brereton Díaz slid in at the far post to poke the ball across goal, but Yukinari Sugawara stretched in vain.

Dibling departed with 77 minutes on the clock, as Archer arrived with enough time for Saints to at least force a frantic finale.

Stewart got across his man to meet a Sugawara cross but could not direct the ball on target, while Ramsdale denied substitute Luis Sinisterra on a night that will leave Saints wondering how the first half took such a drastic turn.

Southampton: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Taylor, Downes (c), Ugochukwu (Aribo 46), Fernandes (Lallana 70), Cornet (Stewart 46), Dibling (Archer 77), Fraser (Brereton Díaz 46).

Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Armstrong, Onuachu.

Goals: Harwood-Bellis (51’).

Booked: Fernandes, Sugawara, Downes, Dibling.

Bournemouth: Kepa, Smith (c), Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez, Cook, Christie, Tavernier (Scott 76), Semenyo (Sinisterra 89), Ouattara (Kluivert 61), Evanilson (Ünal 76).

Unused substitutes: Travers, Huijsen, Araujo, Aarons, Brooks.

Goals: Evanilson (17’), Ouattara (32’), Semenyo (39’).

Booked: Tavernier, Kerkez.

Referee: Michael Oliver.