Tavernier double gives Bournemouth 3-1 win over lacklustre Sheffield United

Soccer Football – Premier League – Sheffield United v AFC Bournemouth – Bramall Lane, Sheffield, Britain – November 25, 2023 AFC Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie in action with Sheffield United’s Oli McBurnie REUTERS/Molly Darlington Acquire Licensing Rights

SHEFFIELD, England, Nov 25 (Reuters) – Winger Marcus Tavernier netted twice as Bournemouth put in an assured performance to beat sluggish Sheffield United 3-1 at Bramall Lane on Saturday and claim a third Premier League win in four games.

The win kept Bournemouth in 16th place with 12 points from 13 games, while United stayed 18th after Burnley were defeated 2-1 defeat by West Ham United.

Bournemouth had a lively start and scored the opener in the 12th minute with a well-worked goal when Antoine Semenyo drifted in from the right and played in Tavernier, whose side-footed shot found the bottom corner.

The visitors grew in confidence after the goal, with Justin Kluivert, Dominic Solanke and Tavernier firing wide, while Semenyo found pockets of space and caused problems for United’s defence.

They doubled their advantage just before the break with the help of a goalkeeping howler from Wes Foderingham, who failed to control the ball on the edge of his own area, allowing Kluivert to score from a tight angle.

United offered little going forward in the first half and their afternoon went from bad to worse after the break when Tavernier ghosted in at the far post to turn in Adam Smith’s floated cross in the 51st minute.

“He was playing really well in the last games but he had some chances he didn’t finish, against Burnley and Newcastle,” Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola told the Daily Echo.

“But it was a matter of time because he has the quality. It’s good he gets the reward because he is contributing in such different ways to the team. I am really happy for him.”

To United’s credit, they played some of their best football after going three goals down as they committed bodies forward out of desperation but their recklessness left them open to swift counter-attacks from Bournemouth.

Ryan Christie and Tavernier forced Foderingham into sharp saves, while substitutes Luis Sinisterra and Milos Kerkez sent decent efforts just wide of the post.

However, the only other goal of the game came from Oli McBurnie, whose 97th-minute header gave the few United fans still in the stadium something to cheer late in added time.

Despite the late goal, the damage was done and Iraola’s resurgent Bournemouth claimed victory.

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