'We're lucky it wasn't anything serious' - Smith on head injury published at 12:20 GMT
12:20 GMT
Image source, Getty Images
Bournemouth captain Adam Smith has explained what it was like to go through a concussion protocol after he clashed heads with team-mate Tyler Adams in the match against Aston Villa earlier in the month.
The full-back returned to the matchday squad last weekend in the draw against West Ham, but could only feature as an 86th-minute substitute.
"I feel OK now," Smith said. "The stitches weren't nice and probably left a scar, but it is what it is and I couldn't do anything about it.
"[The protocol] is not enjoyable. It's rest for 48 hours and then just 10 days of doing all sorts of tests - mental tests, physical tests - to make sure we're recovering and don't get any symptoms, to see if we're OK to get back to training after 12 days.
"So it was a long 12 days and a long protocol to do, but obviously it helped that Tyler was doing it with me. It wasn't nice but we're lucky it wasn't anything serious."
The 34-year-old missed the opening part of the season because of a thigh injury and only returned to selection after the October international break.
"I'd worked so hard to get back from injury and get back to full fitness and I had my opportunity and then that [head injury] happens so it wasn't great. But that's life I suppose, everyone goes through ups and downs and it's nothing I haven't been through before."
Iraola on Semenyo, injuries & Sunderlandpublished at 10:48 GMT
10:48 GMT
Melissa Edwards BBC Sport journalist
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Antoine Semenyo is hoping to be available for selection "if everything goes well" on Friday, while Justin Kluivert has returned to training but is unlikely to play on Saturday.
Ryan Christie is likely to be out "for some time" after an MRI scan following the draw against West Ham last week showed he has a knee sprain.
Ben Gannon-Doak is also expected to be unavailable for a long period.
Iraola said his team need to figure out how to reduce the amount of goals they are conceding as he does not believes their results have been reflective of their performances: "I don't think we conceded as many chances to concede that many goals. So we have to reduce the number of goals we are conceding; otherwise it becomes difficult to win games."
Bournemouth have won just five points from 18 available on the road in the Premier League so far this season. Iraola believes his team need to be "especially good" if they are going to win at the Stadium of Light: "We cannot see Sunderland like a promoted team. I think they have shown they are a really good team and they have a lot of experience with players coming from big clubs. They know what they're doing and what it takes to win in the Premier League. That's how I see it.
He continued to praise their hosts who are unbeaten on home turf so far this season: "They even look experienced as a team in the way they manage games really well. It's going to be tough as they haven't lost any games at home and Aston Villa and Arsenal have played there. It means you have to be especially good and switched on to get the three points."
Gossip: Semenyo attracting Liverpool and Man City interestpublished at 07:10 GMT
07:10 GMT
Liverpool face the dilemma of making a move for Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo in January or waiting until the summer, when Manchester City are expected to join the race for the winger. (i Paper), external
Another rollercoaster in the Iraola theme parkpublished at 15:09 GMT 26 November
15:09 GMT 26 November
Mark Mitchener BBC Sport Senior Journalist
Image source, Getty Images
The festive season is not far away, but the Bournemouth rollercoaster was in full swing on Saturday, as the game with West Ham produced two contrasting halves of football.
It looked particularly grim at half-time, with the Hammers halfway to a "smash and grab" of all three points, having led 2-0 from two largely isolated attacks and already looking more than happy to run the clock down from this point on, against a team without two of its main attacking threats with Antoine Semenyo and Justin Kluivert injured.
Adding extra hurt was the identity of the scorer of both goals - former Cherries favourite Callum Wilson, top scorer from the team which won the Championship title a decade ago, en route to Bournemouth's first glass-ceiling-shattering spell in the Premier League.
But the Cherries have been known for some astonishing comebacks in recent seasons – and turned the game on its head with their second-half display, as the momentum of the match swung.
Boss Andoni Iraola has never been afraid of a bold, early substitution, and at half-time he chose to play a card he had played successfully in an FA Cup tie at Queens Park Rangers nearly two years ago, when they had trailed 2-0 at the break, only to win 3-2.
Lewis Cook – all 5ft 9in of him, and a central midfielder by trade – was switched to central defence with Bafode Diakite replaced at the interval.
If the change was made in anticipation that Cook would not have too much man-to-man marking to do, and could instead break up play and start attacks from the back with his range of passing, it worked a treat – even more so when West Ham withdrew Wilson in favour of midfielder Tomas Soucek in the 52nd minute.
Wilson was facing his old club for the first time. Having departed after relegation during the Covid pandemic of 2020, he never had a chance to say goodbye, and his substitution allowed the game to pause for some warm applause from the home supporters which Wilson acknowledged.
But his exit left the Hammers without a focal point in attack, playing into Iraola's hands as his side laid siege to the visitors' goal. Marcus Tavernier blasted home a penalty after Maximillian Kilman's blatant handball, while another inspired substitution allowed Enes Unal to equalise with one of his first touches after a slide-rule pass by Marcos Senesi opened up the defence.
In the end, it was Areola denying Iraola in a grandstand finish, as Hammers keeper Alphonse Areola somehow threw every body part in the way of goalbound efforts, making save after save to deny Bournemouth a third goal.
In 45 minutes, emotions turned from "there's no way back" to "how did we not win?".
Next stop on the rollercoaster is Sunderland on Saturday. It is safe to say that you would have got long odds in the summer that, 12 games in, Sunderland v Bournemouth would be seventh v eighth.
And what should you do on a rollercoaster? Hold on tight, and enjoy the ride.
Gossip: Semenyo release clause to fall by next summerpublished at 07:44 GMT 26 November
07:44 GMT 26 November
Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo's release clause with the Cherries will drop slightly from £65m in January, to a smaller figure next summer, but will not fall below £50m. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
Meanwhile, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is concerned about an over-reliance on Norway striker Erling Haaland, 25, so will consider rivalling Liverpool for 25-year-old Semenyo. (Talksport), external
Is Unal set to compete in Cherries' attack?published at 12:11 GMT 25 November
12:11 GMT 25 November
Sam Davis Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
This weekend saw another member of the Cherries squad arrive at this campaign's Premier League party, with Turkish frontman Enes Unal grabbing the limelight.
The 28 year old sadly missed the majority of last season with an ACL injury. Subsequently, he had to watch on as the side performed admirably before going on to recruit various players in his preferred position.
While a large number of Bournemouth supporters felt Enes' time on the South Coast may not last much longer, his contribution at the weekend with a last-gasp West Ham equaliser perhaps indicates that he is ready to step up once more to show he can be more than capable of bringing something unique to the Cherries squad.
Having scored plenty of goals in Spain and been a part of an exciting Manchester City youth setup, the expectations were high when Enes joined Bournemouth back in February 2024. However, despite some promising performances, Enes' short time at the club has been blighted by injury - having already succumbed to an ACL injury back in Spain with Getafe, another occurred on the south coast to force a cruel setback.
Credit to him though, as he has evidently worked hard to get fit and is now looking more than ready to compete with the likes of Evanilson and Eli Kroupi in the Cherries attack.
Enes certainly offers something different in Bournemouth's frontline - a real physical presence, a player happy to drop off and link play and with a specialism in free kicks in his armoury. Whisper it, maybe his return can encourage a goal-shy Evanilson to find his goalscoring boots again.
Gossip: Liverpool hold Semenyo talkspublished at 07:22 GMT 25 November
07:22 GMT 25 November
Liverpool have already held concrete talks over a move for Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo, 25, and are aware of his £65m release clause. (Florian Plettenberg), external
'In my best dreams I would not have imagined it' - Unalpublished at 12:07 GMT 24 November
12:07 GMT 24 November
Image source, Getty Images
Bournemouth forward Enes Unal was emotional after scoring his first goal since December 2024 in the 2-2 draw with West Ham.
After successive anterior cruciate ligament injuries, Unal returned with a decisive impact in only his second substitute appearance since his comeback.
Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Unal said: "In my best dreams, I would not have imagined it. Yesterday I had a great training session, and the last couple of days I felt like I was getting there physically and mentally.
"This is why we love football - it was an amazing feeling. A rainy day, this is my favourite weather to play football - this is what you dream of.
"I think we are getting a lot of respect from other teams. A lot of teams come here, and they want to make it a duel-oriented game, aggressive, and if we can't win those duels, we struggle. So, we just need to correct that.
"The second half was an amazing performance. We dominated and we should have scored more, but yes, we will take the point.
"We tried to play outside more and overload the sides. They were compact in the middle and it's very difficult from there. This will give us a lot of learnings and motivation for next week."
Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham - the fans' verdictpublished at 08:36 GMT 24 November
08:36 GMT 24 November
Media caption,
We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Bournemouth and West Ham.
Here are some of your comments:
Bournemouth fans
Lee: Game of two halves! Tepid performance first half, with Callum Wilson coming back to haunt us. However, the second half was an onslaught and we should have won the game in the end. Will settle for a point after going two down, but the Cherries need to be more focused from minute one going forward.
Dave: Our never-say-die attitude showed through in the second half. Their goalkeeper was the difference between one point and three for us. Oh, and that penalty - red all day long.
Bob: Defence poor for Cherries, as usual. The opposition sit back when two up, and we luckily get a draw. A fortunate result.
Rob: Good performance second half, but too many players had an off day - Petrovic and Evanilson, to name just two. Credit to West Ham for holding on and credit to Unal for getting the equaliser after 50 seconds.
West Ham fans
Steve: Will West Ham ever learn that sitting back and defending a lead will never work in the Premier League with a team like ours? I fear not.
Gavin: Not a great performance, but we battled. Wrong subs as widely stated. Magassa needs more minutes when we need legs in midfield. Paqueta and Summerville missing really hurts our attacking options. Respect the point.
Tony: Wrong decision by Nuno to take Wilson off and go defensive, leaving no outlet up front. Letting Bournemouth attack our goal continuously. Bad tactics.
Robbie: A game we would have definitely lost a few weeks back and probably should have on Saturday. Not sure what the manager was thinking with the subs, but it would have taken a point away from home before kick-off.
Gossip: Man Utd want Semenyo in Januarypublished at 07:35 GMT 24 November
07:35 GMT 24 November
Manchester United could a offer Antoine Semenyo his preferred number 24 shirt in a bid to lure the 25-year-old Bournemouth and Ghana forward to Old Trafford during the January transfer window. (Manchester Evening News), external
Bournemouth 2-2 West Ham: What Iraola and Unal said published at 18:13 GMT 22 November
18:13 GMT 22 November
Media caption,
'We deserved more' - Iraola
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It is not a good result for us. We have made mistakes, and we cannot concede two goals that we conceded in the first half. Overall, we were much better and had so many changes, and also, I have to complain about the penalty. It is a clear red card. I don't understand the decision, but we have to analyse our mistakes. They should have played 30 minutes with 10 players.
"They told me that it is not a denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity, but I can't see a clearer one, in the six-yard box. Some of these decisions you see sides, but this one I see no elements. I don't understand it.
"I think we have done everything to get the win. After the goals we conceded, the second half was very good. Areola was incredible. But now it is not a good result. We deserved more, but we have to look at what we did wrong at the beginning of the game. It is frustrating for us.
"Today was that they benefited from our mistakes, but I don't think they created any other chances. We can't concede, and the way we conceded was too simple."
On Enes Unal's goal: "I am very happy for Enes. A long time, an ACL in the same knee. He has had to do hard work to be available for us, and I a happy for him. He had another chance to score the third one, but I am happy for him."
Striker Enes Unal speaking to BBC's Match of the Day: "It feels great to score again. The game was really tough, and they made it really hard for us. We were not composed enough in the first half, and then in the second half, amazing performance. We want three points, but I am happy.
"We wanted to win. Our only objective was three points, but with how the game went, we take the point. Great point, and hopefully this will give us the courage to go to a difficult away game next week and get three points.
"A lot of teams make it an aggressive game, and they will test us, and we need to be ready. We have made mistakes, and that comes from the courage. We have great characters, and we will fix it."
Did you know?
Bournemouth avoided defeat in a Premier League game having trailed by 2+ goals for the first time since August 2024 (3-2 v Everton), having lost each of their previous eight such matches before today.
Bournemouth analysis: Unal inspires comebackpublished at 18:02 GMT 22 November
18:02 GMT 22 November
Adwaidh Rajan BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Enes Unal did not hide his emotions after coming off the bench and scoring a late equaliser inside a minute to help Bournemouth come back from two goals down to hold West Ham 2-2 in the Premier League on Saturday.
The 28-year-old forward joined the Cherries on loan from Getafe in January 2024 before signing a four-year contract in May 2024 - but has since gone on to make just 36 appearances.
Unal has suffered two anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and a broken toe during that period and only returned to full squad training during the international break.
His only appearance of the season before Saturday was a very brief cameo against Nottingham Forest in October and he has not played for Turkey since November 2024.
So to come off the bench and score the equaliser with almost his first touch to preserve Bournemouth's unbeaten record at Vitality Stadium this season would have done a world of good for the forward.
It was only his fifth goal in Bournemouth colours and a first since netting against the same opposition in December 2024.
In fact, Unal could have won the game for the Cherries late on if not for a good save from West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
The Bournemouth forward will now hope to stay away from injuries and build on Saturday's performance to force his way into Andoni Iraola's plans and earn more regular minutes.
Bournemouth v West Ham United: Team newspublished at 14:02 GMT 22 November
14:02 GMT 22 November
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has made four changes to the side that lost 4-0 at Aston Villa, with Antoine Semenyo missing from the matchday squad with a reported ankle issue, along with Justin Kluivert, who picked up an injury during the international break.
Lewis Cook, David Brooks, Bafode Diakite and Eli Junior Kroupi come into the starting line-up as Veljko Milosavljevic and Adam Smith drop to the bench.
Gannon-Doak undergoes surgery published at 13:40 GMT 22 November
13:40 GMT 22 November
Image source, Getty Images
Bournemouth have confirmed that winger Ben Gannon-Doak has undergone successful surgery after sustaining a hamstring injury while on international duty with Scotland.
The 20-year-old was forced off after just 21 minutes during Scotland's memorable 4-2 victory over Denmark, a result that secured their place at the 2026 World Cup.
Gannon-Doak was assessed by Bournemouth's medical team upon his return to the club, and subsequent scans revealed that a surgery would offer the best route to recovery, the club said.
The Cherries say a full rehabilitation plan is now under way, guided closely by the club's medical and performance staff.
While Bournemouth have not put a timeframe on his return, it is another frustrating setback for a highly rated young player who has shown flashes of his potential since joining the Premier League side.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Nottingham Forest" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Newcastle v Man City", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Bournemouth v West Hampublished at 11:09 GMT 22 November
11:09 GMT 22 November
Bournemouth have lost their past two games - albeit both of them were away - but they got absolutely spanked by Aston Villa last time out, which surprised me.
In contrast, West Ham won two in a row before the international break and, although both of those games were at home, they do look competitive again.
The Hammers' only away win this season came at Nottingham Forest in August, when West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo was still Forest manager.
So, what on earth do I go with here - will it be West Ham extending their run under Nuno, or Bournemouth bouncing back?
I am going to go with Bournemouth, because I think what happened against Villa was a blip.
Bournemouth v West Ham: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:10 GMT 21 November
19:10 GMT 21 November
Jordan Butler BBC Sport journalist
Bournemouth seek to get back to winning ways against a West Ham side starting to find some momentum. BBC Sport explores some of the key talking points going into this match.
A return to the south coast and Vitality Stadium will be welcomed by all at Bournemouth.
Andoni Iraola's side suffered consecutive away defeats by Manchester City and Aston Villa before the international break and their 4-0 loss at Villa was their heaviest under the Spanish coach since a home reverse to Liverpool by the same scoreline in January 2024.
"I'm a bit worried about the first half," said the 43-year-old in his post-match interview at Villa Park. "Because it is coming after a [Manchester] City game where we were not at our level."
Before those away losses, the Cherries were on an eight-match unbeaten run. They have won four of their five home matches this season, drawing the other, and only Manchester City, with 15, have taken more points on home soil then the 13 they have accrued.
Semenyo's recent woes
Bournemouth's mini-slump could simply be blamed on a tricky run of fixtures but their form also appears to be intrinsically linked to the performances of star winger Antoine Semenyo.
The 25-year-old began the season with six goals and three assists, but since the October international break, he has gone four league games without a goal involvement and failed to convert a penalty in his previous outing. His general attacking output is down across the board.
Iraola has never lost a top-flight match when facing a team managed by Nuno Espirito Santo. The Spaniard has won two and drawn two of his previous meetings with the Portuguese and if he can get Semenyo firing again then the chances of that run continuing will markedly increase.
Hammers turning a corner?
West Ham's disastrous start to the season has been well documented, and four points from their opening nine games represented their worst beginning to a league campaign for 52 years.
But back-to-back Premier League victories for Nuno's side have injected some much-needed confidence and they are now attempting to win three in a row for the first time since December 2023.
"We have proven we want to change things," said Nuno after the 3-2 triumph over Burnley two weeks ago. "We want to be strong characters. The boys on the pitch are showing this slowly."
The Hammers have recently enjoyed the upper hand against Saturday's opponents and they are unbeaten in nine previous meetings with Bournemouth in all competitions, winning four and drawing five.
They have also scored in 15 of their 16 Premier League games against the Cherries - a 2-0 defeat at Vitality Stadium in January 2019 was the only time they failed to find the net.
International hangover
However, West Ham have lost all three of their fixtures directly after an international break this year and they are the only ever-present top-flight side to do so.
Financial Fair Play rules in Premier League to change next seasonpublished at 18:10 GMT 21 November
18:10 GMT 21 November
Image source, Getty Images
The Premier League will from next season move to a new system of Financial Fair Play (FFP) based on squad costs.
The clubs met in London on Friday to vote on three possible methods of replacing Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) got 14 votes in favour and six against, which is the minimum number that is required to exact a rule change.
Overall squad costs from next season will have to be limited to 85% of a club's revenue, although teams competing in Europe will have to adhere to Uefa's maximum of 70%.
Squad costs comprise player and manager wages, transfer fees and agents' fees.
Rules around sustainability, which set out a club's financial spending plans over the medium and long term, were passed unanimously.
Image source, Getty Images
