If this was Antoine Semenyo's final act in a Bournemouth shirt, he delivered a moment of pure, unadulterated drama. The winger, poised for a £65 million move to Manchester City, struck a fabulous winner deep into stoppage time to sink Tottenham Hotspur and finally halt Bournemouth's alarming 11-game winless run in the Premier League.
A Game of Twists and Late Drama
The match at the Vitality Stadium was a rollercoaster from the outset. Tottenham started brightly, with Mathys Tel breaking the deadlock in the fifth minute. His low, deflected shot marked a significant moment: it was Spurs' first goal from open play in 10 hours of football.
Bournemouth, however, showed resilience to fight their way back into the contest. Their equaliser came from Junior Kroupi, though the goal was shrouded in controversy. In the build-up, Antoine Semenyo failed to connect with an attempted volley from Marco Senesi's cut-back. Had he touched the ball, Kroupi would almost certainly have been ruled offside. The incident highlighted the ongoing complexities surrounding the offside rule.
For much of the game, the heavily scrutinised Semenyo was subdued, receiving only polite applause before kick-off. But as Spurs pushed for a winner, leaving spaces at the back, the forward grew increasingly threatening. His persistence was rewarded in the dying moments.
Semenyo's Sweet Farewell and Spurs' Agony
Just when it seemed Tottenham had salvaged a point through a moment of individual brilliance, Semenyo stole the headlines. In the 95th minute, he found the net to send the home support into raptures. He received a standing ovation upon being substituted moments later and a warm embrace from manager Andoni Iraola, before returning at full-time for what appeared to be an emotional goodbye.
Tottenham's equaliser had come from Joao Palhinha, who scored a spectacular overhead kick. It was the 11th goal Spurs have scored from a set piece this season. Ange Postecoglou's side had other chances, with Richarlison heading against a post and efforts from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero going close.
The defeat compounded a miserable afternoon for the visitors, who were met with jeers and chants of 'ENIC out' from the travelling fans. Their injury woes deepened as Lucas Bergvall trudged off disconsolately with a suspected thigh problem in the second half, followed by Rodrigo Bentancur limping off late on. Van de Ven was also booked for a dive after a VAR review overturned a penalty decision.
Relief for Bournemouth and Questions for Spurs
This result brought immense relief to the south coast. Bournemouth's last victory was against Nottingham Forest in late October, a result that had them second in the table and manager Iraola fielding questions about Champions League possibilities. The subsequent 11-match winless streak, yielding just five points, had swiftly shifted concerns towards the relegation battle.
For Tottenham, the defeat extends a poor record against this opponent. They have not beaten Bournemouth in four attempts, losing three of those, including both fixtures this season. Despite their strong away form this campaign, this was a damaging blow.
As for Antoine Semenyo, his timing was immaculate. A £65 million move to the champions now seems a formality, and he departed the Vitality Stadium having written himself into Bournemouth folklore with one last, decisive kick.
