Dango Ouattara (right) now has seven Premier League goals for the season
Goals from Dango Ouattara, Ryan Christie and Marcus Tavernier sealed victory for Bournemouth at Southampton and moved them up to fifth in the Premier League.
The south coast sides are on different trajectories this season, evidenced as Andoni Iraola's team scored twice in the first half to put themselves in control at St Mary's.
Ryan Christie's cross was headed in by Ouattara, who is proving himself as a striker in the absence of injured duo Evanilson and Enes Unal, before Christie fired past goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale from the edge of the box.
Kamaldeen Sulemana set up a tense end to the match by halving the deficit in the 72nd minute, but Tavernier struck to sink the Saints and ensure the Cherries leapfrog Newcastle and Chelsea.
Bournemouth dominated for much of the game but did not have to be at their scintillating best to defeat a Saints side who, for all their endeavour, lacked confidence.
After Christie's cross was glanced in by an unmarked Ouattara, the hosts gave the ball away on the edge of their own box and the Scotland midfielder punished them with a fine finish beyond Ramsdale.
The England keeper kept the deficit to two with remarkable stops from Semenyo - following a superb run - and Christie, before Sulemana gave the home side hope with a low drive.
Despite the boost his goal gave the Saints, they lacked the cutting edge to capitalise and were hit on the break by a devastating Tavernier finish.
Southampton remain rooted to the foot of the table, 10 points from safety.
Christie makes Cherries tick again
Results have been deserved - Iraola
This season, Semenyo, Justin Kluivert and Ouattara have stolen the headlines for Bournemouth, as the Cherries' relentless attacking play has garnered praise for manager Iraola.
One man whose consistency and influence has gone largely unnoticed, though, is Christie.
Formerly a winger, the 29-year-old has reinvented himself as a central midfielder and is a key cog in Iraola's engine room, caressing the ball across the pitch, winning possession back and getting his team on the attack.
His delivery for Ouattara's opener was pinpoint and, again with his trademark left foot, Christie fired beyond Ramsdale from the edge of the box for his second Premier League goal of the season.
He almost grabbed a second goal with a flicked header from a corner but Ramsdale's reflexes ensured not all of the ball crossed the line when it looked destined to ripple the net.
Christie has missed only one league match for the Cherries this term, starting the past 13. Of these games, Bournemouth's only loss was the 2-0 defeat by Liverpool at the beginning of February.
The influence of the midfielder was not lost on Iraola either, who said afterwards: "I think Ryan has played very well in the games.
"Today he got the numbers and sometimes he doesn't. I am very happy for him because he is trying to improve. Today he has done everything."
Struggling Southampton in 'a bad situation'
Southampton 'missing a little bit of everything' - Juric
The Saints have won only once at home in the league this season - 1-0 against Everton in November.
After Leicester lost 2-0 to Arsenal earlier on Saturday, Ivan Juric's team had the opportunity to cut the gap between them and the Foxes to five points and failed to take it - as has been the case regularly in 2024-25.
Despite Sulemana's goal, which showed great quality, Saints were toothless once more.
Matheus Fernandes desperately looked to create, but the home side were largely limited to speculative shots from the edge of the box.
Paul Onuachu struggled to hold the ball up against Bournemouth's defenders, other than his assist for Sulemana, and when substitute Cameron Archer found space in behind late on he failed to beat keeper Kepa.
Southampton's win at relegation rivals Ipswich two weeks ago appeared to breathe new life into Juric's team, but that optimism has since dissipated in a fortnight in which they were also eliminated from the FA Cup by Championship side Burnley.
Only Sheffield United in 1975-76 have accrued fewer points after 25 top-flight games than Southampton's nine in 2024-25, but Juric insists the struggles of his side are not down to a lack of effort.
"We have good spirit and we scored the goal and created opportunities and played like I want my team to play, with lots of aggression and winning the duels and flair but it wasn't enough," he said.
"We are in a bad situation and there were some positives but not enough to take points in the Premier League.
"The players are giving 100%. I had a feeling that they have given the maximum.
"We will try [to stay up]. While we have the chance, we will try."
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