Cherries go sour on Mark
YET again, Bournemouth have defied all financial logic and survived in the Premier League.
The point against Stoke at the Vitality Stadium – capacity 11,464 – was enough to ensure another season among the elite.
But they could – and maybe should – have had to wait just a little longer for confirmation of their status. They could well have finished the match with nine men after Harry Arter’s wild lunge at Joe Allen earned a yellow card (inset) when it could easily have been red.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes certainly thought so, saying: “It was reckless and the tackle was out of control. Would one of my players have been sent off for that tackle? Absolutely.”
Late on, Bournemouth substitute Max Gradel kicked Ryan Shawcross in an off-the-ball incident. He was booked and Hughes said: “That could have been a sending off as well.”
And just to round off Stoke’s perceived injustice there was more than a hint of controversy about Bournemouth’s second equaliser in the 81st minute when Gradel headed the ball down to Josh King who looked a yard offside. His shot was miscued badly but deflected in off Shawcross.
“We feel aggrieved about it,” said Hughes. “We were the better team and created more chances. But that kind of mirrors our season in many ways. We have had the openings but haven’t taken advantage.”
At least he had the consolation of seeing his team score away from home for the first time in 629 minutes when they took a 32nd-minute lead.
Ironically, it wasn’t even a Stoke player who scored. As Marko Arnautovic’s corner came in debutant Lys Mousset sent a bullet header into his own net.
He didn’t see his first goal in English football coming quite like that.
Cherries boss Eddie Howe said: “It is a shame but his time will come.” And Arter’s challenge ? “I am naturally going to defend my player. Harry is an honest player who plays on the edge. For me, he got the ball cleanly and 10 years ago it would have been seen as a great tackle.”
Bournemouth were level in the 62nd minute. Adam Smith made a dangerous foray down the right and King produced a clever dummy to give Junior Stanislas an open goal.
Stoke regained the lead when Mame Biram Diouf capitalised on shoddy defending by Simon Francis to shoot past Artur Boruc. Then came the Cherries equaliser and their place was secured.
“I am immensely proud of my players and staff,” said Howe. “But we will not be getting complacent. You can’t when you are up against some of the best club teams in the world.”