Agencies
Enes Unal scored on his first Premier League start for Bournemouth as the Cherries beat below-par Brighton to reach their highest top-flight points total.
Marcos Senesi’s 13th-minute header gave Andoni Iraola’s side the lead, nodding in from three yards after the visitors failed to clear a corner.
Turkey striker Unal dragged wide in the first half, but scored his second goal since joining on loan from Getafe in January when he cleverly headed Dango Ouattara’s cross into the far corner after the break.
The impressive Justin Kluivert sealed the win when he drove at the Brighton defence late on and drilled a left-footed strike past Bart Verbruggen for his third goal in three home games.
Brighton were lacklustre throughout and failed to create many meaningful chances - coming closest when Simon Adingra’s effort was tipped over the bar by Mark Travers.
There was concern late on for Bournemouth though, with winger Antoine Semenyo carried off on a stretcher with a suspected knee injury.
The victory moves the Cherries to 48 points - two more than their previous best top-flight haul in 2016-17.
Iraola told BBC Match of the Day: “We are really, really happy. The players deserve these points. They have performed really well.
“Even when we weren’t getting points at the start of the season they were pushing and playing well. Now we want more points and to continue.”
He also confirmed Unal’s loan will become a permanent deal, saying: “We are very happy, especially with his attitude and how he is integrating on and off the pitch. It is a very good signing for us.” Brighton remain 12th and have now won just six of their past 28 league games.
Their season is in danger of petering out in a campaign that has bucked the trend of their recent impressive progress.
