Hornets stung after King nets superb double
Eddie Howe has told Bournemouth to raise their levels of “belief” after thrashing Watford 4-0 to set a new record Premier League away win. Joshua King bagged a brace with David Brooks and Callum Wilson also on the scoresheet as the Cherries romped to victory at Vicarage Road. Watford’s Christian Kabasele was sent off for two bookings, with Bournemouth boss Howe admitting he felt the defender could have been handed a straight red for a “nasty” elbow on Cherries goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. Bournemouth’s best start to a Premier League campaign has them fifth in the table with 16 points from eight games, leaving Howe cautiously optimistic for some tough challenges ahead. “I just hope it gives us the confidence and belief that you need to win really difficult games,” said Howe, of his side’s fine victory. “We’ve got tough games to come, and we’ll need all those mental qualities we showed, and that we showed at the start of the season to push on and get more results. “Nothing’s a given in this league. We know how difficult it can be.” Nuno Espirito Santo believes it is the foundations laid during Wolves’ Championshipwinning season that have inspired such a fine start to life in the Premier League. Yesterday’s 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace took them up to seventh place, represented their sixth clean sheet from their past seven games and came as they became the first team in the history of the Premier League to name an unchanged XI for their opening eight games. “We have to look really far behind to the previous season,” said the Wolves manager who, in the era of squad rotation, has relied on a small core of players. “The style and the way we play, the shape of the team was building through time. If you play and train with the same team-mates, it becomes easier and more effective.” Elsewhere, an “ugly” elbow occupied the mind of David Wagner after Burnley’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town at Turf Moor. The Terriers climbed off the bottom of the table after Christopher Schindler cancelled out Sam Vokes’ opener, but the game was delayed for more than five minutes in the second half while Schindler received treatment after taking an elbow in the face from Vokes. Wagner said: “This is nothing I like to see in football. I don’t like to say that opponents do it on purpose, but they have to have better control over their bodies. This is too dangerous, this is ugly.”