Match ends, Bournemouth 3, Brighton and Hove Albion 0.
Enes Unal scored on his first Premier League start for Bournemouth as the Cherries beat below-par Brighton to reach their highest top-flight points total.
Marcos Senesi's 13th-minute header gave Andoni Iraola's side the lead, nodding in from three yards after the visitors failed to clear a corner.
Turkey striker Unal dragged wide in the first half, but scored his second goal since joining on loan from Getafe in January when he cleverly headed Dango Ouattara's cross into the far corner after the break.
The impressive Justin Kluivert sealed the win when he drove at the Brighton defence late on and drilled a left-footed strike past Bart Verbruggen for his third goal in three home games.
Brighton were lacklustre throughout and failed to create many meaningful chances - coming closest when Simon Adingra's effort was tipped over the bar by Mark Travers.
There was concern late on for Bournemouth though, with winger Antoine Semenyo carried off on a stretcher with a suspected knee injury.
The victory moves the Cherries to 48 points - two more than their previous best top-flight haul in 2016-17.
Iraola told BBC Match of the Day: "We are really, really happy. The players deserve these points. They have performed really well.
"Even when we weren't getting points at the start of the season they were pushing and playing well. Now we want more points and to continue."
He also confirmed Unal's loan will become a permanent deal, saying: "We are very happy, especially with his attitude and how he is integrating on and off the pitch. It is a very good signing for us."
Brighton remain 12th and have now won just six of their past 28 league games.
Their season is in danger of petering out in a campaign that has bucked the trend of their recent impressive progress.
- Reaction to Bournemouth v Brighton
- How did you rate Bournemouth's performance? Have your say here
- What did you make of Brighton's display? Send us your views here
Two sides continue on opposite trajectories
When Bournemouth started the Premier League season without a win in their opening nine games, the decision to part ways with Gary O'Neil and appoint Iraola - who had no experience in England - was questioned.
Those questions have been well and truly answered as the season has gone on.
They were excellent again on Sunday, playing with pace and creativity, and arguably should have won by a greater margin in the end.
Unal's first-half miss was a huge chance and Kluivert hit the side netting when he should have squared early in the second.
Iraola's side have taken 45 points from their past 26 games and if they could achieve that ratio over a full campaign then they would be challenging for the European places.
For all of Bournemouth's brilliance, Brighton were poor.
There is plenty of noise around Roberto de Zerbi's future at the club and the Italian cut a disconsolate figure on the touchline at times.
He was slouched in his seat after Bournemouth's opener and looked miserable and frustrated as the game wore on.
Brighton made seven changes from their 4-0 thrashing by Manchester City in midweek, with the experienced Danny Welbeck and Adam Lallana dropping to the bench, including first Premier League starts for 21-year-old defender Odel Offiah and 19-year-old striker Mark O'Mahony.
De Zerbi's side had 13 shots across the game but just one on target and while they are hampered by injuries, their run since September has seen only Burnley, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United win fewer matches.
They have issues to resolve over the coming weeks ahead of next season - the biggest is whether De Zerbi will remain in the dugout.
De Zerbi told BBC Match of the Day: "We have to play much better than we are playing. We would like to give more and more but maybe in this moment it is tough for us.
"We prepared the game well but our best at the moment is not enough.
"I have big confidence in my players. I know how they feel when we lose a game. We lose together and we have keep going together."
Player of the match
TraversMark Travers
AFC Bournemouth
Avg
- Squad number42Player nameTraversAverage rating
7.52
- Squad number10Player nameChristieAverage rating
7.49
- Squad number14Player nameScottAverage rating
7.44
- Squad number9Player nameSolankeAverage rating
7.37
- Squad number23Player nameHillAverage rating
7.35
- Squad number24Player nameSemenyoAverage rating
7.34
- Squad number49Player nameSadiAverage rating
7.17
- Squad number19Player nameKluivertAverage rating
7.16
- Squad number37Player nameAaronsAverage rating
7.04
- Squad number25Player nameSenesiAverage rating
7.00
- Squad number26Player nameÜnalAverage rating
6.98
- Squad number4Player nameL CookAverage rating
6.76
- Squad number5Player nameKellyAverage rating
6.76
- Squad number11Player nameOuattaraAverage rating
6.73
- Squad number15Player nameA SmithAverage rating
6.57
Brighton & Hove Albion
Avg
- Squad number11Player nameGilmourAverage rating
6.14
- Squad number5Player nameDunkAverage rating
6.12
- Squad number55Player nameO’MahonyAverage rating
6.05
- Squad number19Player nameBarcoAverage rating
5.38
- Squad number9Player nameJoão PedroAverage rating
5.36
- Squad number1Player nameVerbruggenAverage rating
5.16
- Squad number13Player nameGroßAverage rating
5.13
- Squad number40Player nameBuonanotteAverage rating
5.09
- Squad number42Player nameOffiahAverage rating
5.01
- Squad number18Player nameWelbeckAverage rating
4.88
- Squad number24Player nameAdingraAverage rating
4.87
- Squad number3Player nameIgor JulioAverage rating
4.65
- Squad number4Player nameWebsterAverage rating
4.51
- Squad number34Player nameVeltmanAverage rating
4.43
- Squad number20Player nameBalebaAverage rating
4.42
- Squad number10Player nameEncisoAverage rating
4.40
Line-ups
Bournemouth
Formation 4-4-2
- 42Travers
- 15A Smith
- 25SenesiBooked at 8minsSubstituted forHillat 90+1'minutes
- 5Kelly
- 11Ouattara
- 24SemenyoSubstituted forat 90+7'minutes
- 14ScottSubstituted forAaronsat 77'minutes
- 4L Cook
- 19KluivertBooked at 56minsSubstituted forSadiat 90+2'minutes
- 26ÜnalSubstituted forChristieat 67'minutes
- 9Solanke
Substitutes
- 1Neto
- 10Christie
- 23Hill
- 37Aarons
- 46McKenna
- 48Kinsey
- 49Sadi
- 50Dacosta Gonzalez
Brighton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Verbruggen
- 42OffiahSubstituted forVeltmanat 74'minutes
- 5Dunk
- 3dos Santos de PauloSubstituted forWebsterat 74'minutes
- 19BarcoBooked at 66mins
- 13Groß
- 11GilmourBooked at 58mins
- 40Buonanotte
- 9João PedroSubstituted forBalebaat 88'minutes
- 24AdingraSubstituted forEncisoat 66'minutes
- 55O’MahonySubstituted forWelbeckat 45'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Webster
- 10Enciso
- 14Lallana
- 15Moder
- 18Welbeck
- 20Baleba
- 23Steele
- 31Ansu Fati
- 34Veltman
- Referee:
- Paul Tierney
- Attendance:
- 11,188
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home30%
- Away70%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away1
- Corners
- Home8
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Bournemouth 3, Brighton and Hove Albion 0.
Post update
Antoine Semenyo went off injured after Bournemouth had used all subs.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Post update
Delay in match because of an injury Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth).
Substitution
Substitution, Bournemouth. Dominic Sadi replaces Justin Kluivert.
Substitution
Substitution, Bournemouth. James Hill replaces Marcos Senesi.
Post update
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Joël Veltman.
Post update
Foul by Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Post update
Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Carlos Baleba replaces João Pedro.
Goal!
Goal! Bournemouth 3, Brighton and Hove Albion 0. Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ryan Christie following a fast break.
Post update
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Joël Veltman.
Post update
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Lewis Dunk.
Post update
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Adam Webster.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Antoine Semenyo with a cross.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Post update
Delay in match because of an injury Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth).
Substitution
Substitution, Bournemouth. Max Aarons replaces Alex Scott.
Post update
Attempt missed. Adam Smith (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Ryan Christie.
Comments
Join the conversation
In the EPL....Smallest club, smallest ground, smallest fan base? 4th smallest wage bill, yet the 10th best team in England !
Being a so called 'BIG' club means nothing if you can't play football and are not well managed on and off the pitch !
Massive credit to the manager and what he has done. Could turn out to be one of the cherries best ever seasons
As for Brighton, that was abject. Yes there are injuries, but the team still has some great players. Seems RDZ has plan A, but no plan B or C. Now it seems everyone has worked out "RDZ ball". Life was too easy for Bournemouth today.
We look similar to Liverpool at present, players know the manager is off and can’t be bothered to put in the effort
Even with injuries you should grind out some results. Awful form and any other manager would have been sacked.
Well done Bournemouth 👏
Worth a cheeky bet to be relegated next season at this rate. 🤣
Where could we have been if we had started the season better, just think 2 or 3 early wins would have us challenging seriously for a European place, who would have believed we'd ever be in such a position you never know some pundits might even start to respect us!