Antoine Semenyo scored one goal and set up the other as Bournemouth beat Brighton 2-1. Alex Scott netted his first league goal since December 2023, with Kaoru Mitoma equalising for the visitors.
The Cherries handed a surprise top-flight debut to Veljko Milosavljevic, their 18-year-old transfer deadline day signing, with the centre-back Bafodé Diakité injured. At the other end of the age spectrum, the 39-year-old James Milner replaced Carlos Baleba in Brighton’s starting lineup.
The visitors were forced into an early change when Jack Hinshelwood hobbled off after a challenge with Evanilson left him in a heap on the halfway line.
Bournemouth had the better of a scrappy start to the game and took a deserved lead in the 18th minute. Semenyo plucked the ball down excellently before teeing up Scott to fire a left-foot shot into the far corner from just outside the 18-yard box.
Brighton then lost a second player to injury as Maxim De Cuyper had to be replaced by Ferdi Kadioglu after being shoved into the advertising hoardings by Semenyo.
Bournemouth continued to dictate the pace of the game and David Brooks had a shot blocked before Evanilson headed over the bar from Adrien Truffert’s cross. Semenyo then sliced an effort wide under pressure from Kadioglu after a powerful run into the Brighton penalty area.
It took until five minutes before half-time for Brighton to muster their first meaningful attempt, when Yankuba Minteh came racing down their right and forced a smart save from Djordje Petrovic at his near post.
Evanilson had another half-chance in first-half stoppage time but could only head tamely into the arms of Bart Verbruggen from another Truffert centre.
Bournemouth were made to pay for their missed chances when Mitoma equalised three minutes into the second half. Minteh whipped in a teasing cross from the right and the Japan international climbed highest to head home at the far post.
The goal initially changed the flow of the game and moments later Minteh flashed a deflected shot into the side-netting after advancing into a shooting position. Danny Welbeck then put a right-foot volley narrowly wide of the far post after the home side had failed to deal with a corner.
The Cherries were presented with the chance to retake the lead in the 61st minute after Jan Paul van Hecke clumsily brought down Evanilson, leaving Peter Bankes with no option but to award a penalty. Semenyo stepped up and calmly rolled the ball into the centre of the diving Verbruggen’s net to claim his third goal of the season.
The substitute Baleba’s effort high over the bar was as close as Brighton came to rescuing a point they would not have deserved.
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Andoni Iraola refused to get too carried away by the Cherries’ start to the season after a third successive victory, which sees them join pacesetters Arsenal and Liverpool on nine points. Iraola said: “I am very pleased with the three points because I think it was a difficult game. We started really well and played a very good first half but the momentum changed a little bit at the beginning of the second half when they scored. Once we went 2-1 up we finished the game really well.”
He continued: “It is super, super early in the season and I just value the nine points that we have. We have only played four games and we have been winning by small margins. Sometimes we are going to play the same way, not get it right and not take the points.”
Iraola picked out match-winner Semenyo for special praise. “Antoine had a really strong pre-season and we ask a lot from him offensively and in the duels defensively. Today we used him at the end as a number nine and on both wings. We’re trying to mix it up a little bit with him, but he is giving a very good level.”
Brighton’s head coach Fabian Hürzeler hinted he felt play should have been stopped in the buildup to Bournemouth’s first goal for a foul by Semenyo on De Cuyper that led to the Belgian hobbling off. Hürzeler said: “Overall we played well. We came back after a tough start. In the end small margins made a difference and in some moments we didn’t make the right decision. I don’t have a complaint about the penalty but there were a lot of other decisions.
“I think everyone saw the first goal so everyone can make their own opinion. That is everything I can say to that.
“We win together, we lose together, so we have to show the right reaction again. We have to stand up again and that’s what we have done in the past, so that’s we have to do in the future. It’s always about the way you react. You can fall but you have to stand up.”
