Bournemouth 3-2 Swansea City

Gradel's first goal of the season gave Bournemouth the lead against Swansea

Bournemouth secured a third successive league win with a dramatic victory over Swansea which moved them 13 points clear of the relegation zone.

Max Gradel slotted the home side in front after a cross was palmed into his path but Modou Barrow cut in from the right and curled in a shot to equalise.

Joshua King drilled in a strike to restore Bournemouth's lead, only for Gylfi Sigurdsson to fire in and level.

But Steve Cook headed in late on to clinch the win for the Cherries.

Relive Bournemouth's win over Swansea

Are Bournemouth safe?

The Cherries have earned 10 points from their last four games and, while that may not secure their Premier League survival mathematically, to the home crowd it will feel like they have one foot in next season's top flight.

Eddie Howe's side have now won eight of their last 16 league games - form that has earned them mid-table status.

With difficult matches coming up against Tottenham and Manchester City, and a run-in which includes trips to Everton and Manchester United, Bournemouth have won the games they needed to win.

"We still feel we have more work to do but we are moving in the right direction," said Howe. "We have to keep achieving. We go into a tough run of fixtures but ones we can look forward to."

Bournemouth winger Max Gradel's touchmap (left) and that of Swansea winger Modou Barrow shows there was little between them as both caused the opposition plenty of problems

Grateful Gradel

Gradel reacted to his neat, low finish to open the scoring by running straight to the Bournemouth bench to celebrate with the backroom team.

After a lengthy spell in the treatment room with a cruciate knee injury, the midfielder's joy at scoring his first goal of the season was clear for all to see.

"One thing came in my mind and that was to thank the coach, he did a lot for me," the 28-year-old said. "When people are loyal to you, you have to give something back.

"Twice [the knee injury] happened to me and it is never easy. The coach believed in me and when I was thinking that I couldn't give up and I was thinking of my family."

Still recovering

Defeat was Swansea's first since head coach Francesco Guidolin was admitted to hospital with a chest infection on 2 March.

Despite having been released on Monday, the Italian sat out Saturday's game to aid his recovery, leaving first-team coach Alan Curtis to lead touchline duties once again.

The Swans had been impressive in their two back-to-back wins without the 60-year-old, partly thanks to the in-form Gylfi Sigurdsson.

But the Iceland international's seventh goal in 11 games was not enough to earn the visitors a point, though they are eight points clear of the drop zone.

Man of the match - Joshua King

Josh King was lively throughout and almost netted twice before eventually drilling home to score for a second consecutive game - the Cherries thrived on his movement, energy and strength

Manager reaction

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe: "Swansea showed good character but our lads showed even better character to deal with those setbacks and find another gear."

On Max Gradel's goal: "It meant everything the club and everything to the player himself who has had a difficult time [through injury]. But the way he has come back is a breath of fresh air."

Swansea manager Alan Curtis: "I thought we gave them three goals. They were individual mistakes. We got ourselves back in and had chances to go in front but it wasn't to be. We are disappointed. We need to lift ourselves now.

"Forty points is what we are aiming for. Once we get there - if we get there - we will push on. There is still a lot of work to do."

The stats you need to know

• Bournemouth have won back-to-back Premier League home games for the first time.

• Max Gradel scored his first Premier League goal and his first in English league football since August 2011 (for Leeds).

• Matt Ritchie now has 26 assists in league football for Bournemouth, 10 more than any other player at the club since he signed in January 2013.

• Modou Barrow became the first Gambian to score a Premier League goal, meaning that 95 different nationalities have now netted in the Premier League.

• Only Norwich City (0) have kept fewer clean sheets away from home this season than Swansea City (1).

• Sergio Aguero (9) is the only player to have scored more Premier League goals in 2016 than Gylfi Sigurdsson (7).

What next?

Bournemouth travel to title-chasing Tottenham on Sunday 20 March, while Swansea host bottom club Aston Villa on Saturday 19 March.