EPL Round up | Jermain Defoe’s winner against Brighton hands Bournemouth their first points of the season
Jermain Defoe opened his account at the Vitality Stadium as AFC Bournemouth completed a 2-1 comeback over newly promoted side Brighton & Hove Albion. Inspired by Jordan Ibe, this marks the first win of the season for the Cherries, and leaves Palace as the only team yet to get any points on board.
After losing four games on the trot, Eddie Howe’s men looked destined for their fifth defeat of the campaign as Solly March had headed Brighton & Hove Albion in front from a brilliant Pascal Gross's cross in the 55th-minute.
However, things changed miraculously in the second-half when the manager decided to bring on Jordan Ibe in place of winger Ryan Fraser to increase the pace of the game. The former Liverpool player put on his best display for the Cherries in over a year with two skilful assists that helped Bournemouth register an unlikely comeback.
It was Man of the match Andrew Surman who snatched the equalizer for Bournemouth finding an impeccable backheel from Ibe as he turned Lewis Dunk before slotting the ball into the bottom corner of
Things were finally looking up for Howe’s men as the momentum shifted, and the turnaround was completed in the 73rd minute of the game when yet another clever pass by Ibe found the club’s new summer signing Jermain Defoe in the open, and he didn’t make any mistake in clinically and powerfully drilling it in.
The last time when the English forward had scored for the Cherries was way back in May 2001, when he was playing alongside current manager Howe. Unfortunately, this win doesn’t move Bournemouth up in the table following their nightmarish start to the season as they remain sitting at 19 position, in the relegation zone.