Dango dazzles as five-star Cherries progress to the fourth round
11th January 2025 | By Tom Ellerby
Bournemouth were comfortable victors in the FA Cup third round against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday at the Vitality Stadium.
The Baggies did take the lead 14 minutes in thanks to Caleb Taylor. However, the Cherries turned it round in emphatic fashion, with goals from Kluivert, Semenyo, Jebbison and a brace from Ouattara making the difference.
Andoni Iraola opted to make six changes from the 1-0 win over Everton - David Brooks, who scored the winner in that match, Julio Soler, and Ben Winterburn, who made their first starts for the club, came into the side along with Tyler Adams, Kepa Arrizabalaga and the soon-to-depart Max Aarons. They replaced Kerkez, Cook, Christie, Semenyo, Travers, who has been linked with a loan move to Middlesbrough, and the injured Evanilson.
West Brom, who had caretaker manager Chris Brunt in charge today, looked the more dangerous side in the opening 15 minutes, spending a lot of time on the ball in Bournemouth’s half. The Baggies eventually took the lead on 14 minutes when a free-kick from John Swift was headed on by Grady Diangana and parried by Kepa into the path of centre-back Caleb Taylor, who nodded it in for his first West Brom goal.
However, on 18 minutes, Dango Outtara attempted to run past Mason Holgate to go one-on-one with West Brom backup keeper Joe Wildsmith, but he was brought down by Holgate for a free kick right on the edge of the box. Unfortunately for the Cherries, Justin Kluivert should’ve done better, as his shot was blocked by the West Brom wall.
The Cherries managed to level the scores in the 27th minute as the ball was floated out to the right wing to David Brooks, who played it high into the box - the ball missed Dango Outtara but Justin Kluivert was there to tap it in at the far post and make it 1-1 with his seventh goal of the season and his first of 2025.
It didn’t take long for the Cherries to turn the game round in the 34th minute - Kluivert was involved again when he cut inside from the left-wing and played a through ball to Outtara, who beat his man and finished past Joe Wildsmith from a tight angle.
One minute before half-time the Cherries made it 3-1. David Brooks was set free on the counterattack and played the ball to Outtara on the overlap, who finished low to the keeper’s right for his second goal of the match to give Bournemouth a comfortable lead.
At half-time, Antoine Semenyo was brought on in place of Max Aarons, and within two minutes he took part in the goalfest - Outtara played the ball from the right corner back to David Brooks, whose through ball found Semenyo, with the 25-year-old slamming his shot past Joe Wildsmith.
The Baggies did have a chance to pull one back as Uros Racic latched onto the ball in the box after Diangana lifted the ball over the defence - the Serbian midfielder did well to control it, however his shot went past Kepa’s near post.
The Cherries seemed to take their foot off the gas as the game began to quieten down.
However, they had a great chance to make it five when Caleb Taylor received a pass from Wildsmith but was dispossessed, with Ouattara running towards goal and playing in substitute Daniel Jebbison - however, the ball was slightly behind Jebbison and he failed to send a shot at goal.
In second-half stoppage time, Jebbison did manage to get on the scoresheet, as Antoine Semenyo carried the ball goalward and picked out Jebbison, whose shot deflected off the goalkeeper but landed in the back of the net to make it five.
The full time whistle blew to mark a comfortable victory for Bournemouth and safe passage to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the fifth time in six years. Cherries fans should be pleased with the side’s clinicality, as they scored the most goals of any match so far this season.
The Cherries have three days to prepare for their next match, which is a tricky trip to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening as they face Chelsea.
Match FACTS:
Bournemouth’s last 13 FA Cup third round matches (including replays) have seen 58 goals scored in total. Each game in that run has produced at least three goals, with six of those seeing five or more.
West Bromwich Albion conceded five goals in an FA Cup match for the first time since February 1967, in a 5-0 defeat to Leeds United.
Dango Ouattara scored more than once in a game in all competitions for the first time in his career in European club football.
