views
London: Beyond Wayne Rooney's Manchester United goal drought stretching to a 10th game and Tottenham's struggles, it was a landmark day for newcomer Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
For the first time in Bournemouth's 125-year history, the team have scored goals in the top flight of English football - and won a game.
On another frustrating day for Rooney in United's 0-0 draw with Newcastle, Bournemouth's own English striker, Callum Wilson, scored a hat trick in a wild 4-3 victory at West Ham.
Bournemouth, which came close to going out of business and dropping out of the fourth professional division in the last decade, had lost their first two Premier League games without scoring.
"In the first two games I think there were nerves, but today I felt we showed real confidence," the 23-year-old Wilson told the BBC. "There's a few things we need to brush up on but it's a fantastic result and instils confidence into the team."
Wilson sent Bournemouth into a 2-0 lead at halftime, but the visitors had to dig deep after Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate brought West Ham level after the break. Marc Pugh restored Bournemouth's lead and Wilson completed his treble from the penalty spot but Modibo Maiga's third for West Ham ensured they would be a nervy conclusion for the south-coast team.
Now Bournemouth will hope to produce more of the exciting free-flowing attacking football that was the team's hallmark in winning the second-tier last season.
"We have to maintain that attacking edge without being too open," Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said.
It was a demonstration of the cutting edge in front of goal that Man United has been lacking in the league so far. The 20-time champions edged the first two games 1-0 but were frustrated by Newcastle at Old Trafford.
Rooney, who had a goal disallowed for offside early, registered a shot on target for the first time this season but is still without a goal for United since April.
Manager Louis van Gaal, though, maintains that United are not in need of attacking reinforcements before the transfer window closes on Septtember 1.
"I am satisfied with the performance and not with the result - and that is different," Van Gaal said. "We were unlucky with rewarding ourselves because we have created a lot of chances."
Newcastle remains without a win in the first three games under Steve McClaren, a former assistant to Alex Ferguson at United.
Tottenham and Sunderland are also still searching for their first wins after draws on Saturday.
In a lively final 10 minutes at Leicester, Dele Alli put Tottenham in front but it was quickly cancelled out by Riyad Mahrez, who preserved the hosts' unbeaten start to the season.
Jermain Defoe secured Sunderland's first point of the season by canceling out Bafetimbi Gomis' goal in a 1-1 draw with Swansea.
Crystal Palace has six points from a possible nine after Bakary Sako scored his first goal for the team to clinch a 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
In Norwich, Xherdan Shaqiri marked his Stoke debut by setting up Mame Biram Diouf's opener but Russell Martin equalized.
Comments
0 comment