Fraser leading charge for the Cherries army
IT WAS a case of who dares wins for Bournemouth against Leicester after they went orienteering with the SAS during the international break.
Just like their special forces guides, Eddie Howe’s troops were thrilling and clinical, inspired by their jet-heeled winger Ryan Fraser.
Fraser was the main marksman in Bournemouth’s deadly battalion and provided two clinical sniper-like first-half finishes.
He also set up Adam Smith’s goal, while Josh King was on target from the spot before a late fightback from the 10-man Foxes.
Howe, whose side climbed up to fifth, said: “I can’t say that performance was down to that [picking up tips from the SAS]!
“The players here always look fit and that is testament to the work they have done during the international break.
“They have shown a great attitude again to do what we have asked them to do, and I was going to say that was a little bit of fun, but I am not sure they would look at it like that!”
Leicester were better than the final score suggested, but not helped by two of their most trusted soldiers, centre-backs Harry Maguire and Wes Morgan, having days to forget. Captain Morgan’s was capped by his second-half dismissal (below) after being shown two yellows.
Leicester boss Claude Puel said: “It was a tough afternoon. Strange. It was not a fair reflection.
“We had good chances against a good team and it will be important that this game is just an accident.
“We have to prevent these goals being conceded, it’s a handicap for us.”
The opener came in the 19th minute when Fraser capped a brilliant breakaway.
Howe’s men shuttled the ball quickly from goalkeeper Asmir Begovic to Dan Gosling to King and on to Fraser, who ran at a panicking Morgan before cutting inside and firing past Kasper Schmeichel.
Maguire, on a yellow card for a 12th-minute foul on Callum Wilson, was lucky to survive a second yellow after bodychecking King.
And then, what could have been 1-1, when Begovic produced a brilliant double save to deny Jamie Vardy and James Maddison, quickly became 3-0.
As he had already had his last warning, Maguire could do little other than let Fraser run on to Wilson’s pass to slot in his second in the 37th minute.
And four minutes later King smashed in a penalty after Ricardo Pereira had handled his pass.
Leicester’s afternoon got worse in the 69th minute with Morgan’s second yellow.
It seemed harsh but Morgan, already in the book for a challenge on King, paid the price for overstretching to reach a loose ball and fouling Smith as he bulldozed his way forward.
Bournemouth made the most of being a man up when Fraser crossed for Smith to mark his 100th Premier League appearance and make it 4-0.
Maddison replied from the spot with two minutes left after Diego Rico fouled Ricardo and Marc Albrighton headed in Kelechi Iheanacho’s cross in the 89th minute but the goals were too little, too late.