Antoine Semenyo's sensational start to the Premier League season continued as his goal and assist helped AFC Bournemouth beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at Vitality Stadium.
Semenyo had three goal contributions in three games to start the campaign, and he was involved again in the 18th minute when he teed up Alex Scott’s stunning left-footed opener.
But Brighton hit back three minutes into the second half through Kaoru Mitoma, who nodded past Djordje Petrovic at the back post from Yankuba Minteh’s cross.
However, the Cherries restored their lead just after the hour when Jan Paul van Hecke tripped Evanilson inside the box, allowing Semenyo to dispatch the resulting penalty and seal the win.
Bournemouth’s third consecutive Premier League victory propelled them up to third ahead of the day's later fixtures for Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. Brighton, meanwhile, have only won one of their first four matches.
How the match unfolded
Bournemouth’s strong start was rewarded in the 18th minute through Scott, who rifled an effort past Bart Verbruggen after good work from Semenyo on the edge of the box.
The Cherries continued to press on after taking the lead, with Evanilson looping a header just over the crossbar before Semenyo's strike whistled just wide of the right-hand post.
Brighton improved as the half wore on and manufactured their best opportunity four minutes before the break, but Petrovic was equal to Minteh's near-post shot.
Fabian Hurzeler's side restored parity three minutes after the restart, with Minteh’s brilliant run from the right ending with a teasing cross for Mitoma to head home from a tight angle.
The Seagulls appeared to be gaining a foothold in the game, but their good work was undone when Lewis Dunk’s wayward pass led to Evanilson being caught by Van Hecke’s outstretched leg, and the in-form Semenyo making no mistake with the resulting penalty.
Cherries continue excellent start to campaign
A fabulous performance from Bournemouth earned them a 1-0 victory at Tottenham Hotspur just before the international break, and they picked up here from where they left off.
Scott continued his strong start to the campaign with a wonderful goal on the swivel, with the Cherries stretching their opponents in the opening exchanges, but Evanilson was unable to turn home Adrien Truffert’s delivery into the box.
However, Bournemouth were stung by Mitoma’s goal so early into the second half, with James Hill guilty of leaving the winger free inside the area to level the match up, and that setback appeared to hinder the hosts as they struggled to ride the wave of Brighton’s momentum.
Danny Welbeck’s close-range effort had Petrovic worried, but the nerves among the home supporters were calmed when Van Hecke clumsily brought down Evanilson.
Ahead of kick-off, Semenyo had never scored or assisted in his six Premier League appearances against Brighton, but he chalked both of those off after sending Verbruggen the wrong way, with the Bournemouth attacker full of confidence.
Bournemouth now have eight days to prepare for the visit of Newcastle United, who picked up their first win of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Injury-hit Brighton remain without a point on the road
Brighton went into the international break on a high after their comeback victory over Manchester City and will have headed into this encounter with confidence high within the ranks.
However, their afternoon began on a sour note as Jack Hinshelwood was taken off before 10 minutes had passed, and this was compounded by Maxim De Cuyper also going off injured, after colliding with the advertising boards in the first half.
See the latest on injuries at every club
Brighton struggled to deal with the high press forced upon them by the home side, with the likes of James Milner in midfield hurried when in possession during a first half in which they were distinctly second best.
They replied immediately after the break, with the dangerous Minteh whipping in a fine cross for Mitoma to apply the headed finish, highlighting the attacking edge that exists in the Brighton side even when they are not at their complete best.
Despite their strong start to the second half, they were undone by a poor goal to give away by their standards, with Dunk's intercepted pass ultimately leading to Bournemouth being awarded a penalty.
Brighton will look to get back to winning ways when they host Tottenham next Saturday.
Club reports
Brighton report | Bournemouth report
What the managers said
Andoni Iraola: "I'm very happy with the win because we value this win against a very good team. The game had some moments for us, some for them. It was not clear what was going to happen at the end."
Fabian Hurzeler: "I think we didn't have to lose this game. We controlled the game quite well, we had chances, the first goal was unlucky when we had 10 men on the pitch. The second goal was from an easy mistake. It feels disappointing but we have to show a reaction."
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Key facts
Bournemouth have won three successive Premier League games for the first time since December 2024, while their nine points from their opening four games is their best ever start to a top-flight season.
Bournemouth’s Semenyo has both scored and provided an assist in a Premier League game for the very first time. Semenyo has been directly involved in seven goals across his last five league games (five goals, two assists), as many contributions as in his previous 18 appearances.
Brighton’s Mitoma has been directly involved in six goals across six Premier League appearances against Bournemouth (five goals, one assist), twice as many involvements than he has managed against any other opponent in the top flight.