Bournemouth beat Fulham 3-1 at the Vitality Stadium on Friday to open the October Premier League weekend, with Antoine Semenyo scoring twice and Marcos Senesi adding a header before Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz replied late.
Andoni Iraola's side pressed high from the first whistle, exploiting Fulham's narrow build-up on a slick Dorset pitch. Semenyo opened the scoring in the 12th minute, cutting inside from the right and beating Bernd Leno at the near post. Fulham struggled to regain rhythm despite Joachim Andersen's long diagonals, and Bournemouth doubled the lead when Semenyo finished a low cross from Marcus Tavernier before half-time.
How the match turned
Senesi headed in a corner just after the hour, giving Bournemouth breathing room when Fulham introduced attacking substitutes. Muniz tapped in from a Harry Wilson cross in the 81st minute, but Iraola's team saw out five added minutes without conceding a second. Leno made three saves in the first half; Bournemouth keeper Neto dealt cleanly with set pieces at the other end.
The result moves Bournemouth to 11 points, level with mid-table pack, while Fulham stay on nine after a third away defeat. Marco Silva said his side lacked aggression in duels; Iraola praised Semenyo's movement off the shoulder of centre-backs.
Weekend context
Friday's kick-off mirrors last season's scheduling experiment that boosted TV audiences in the United States and Asia. Saturday brings Arsenal against West Ham and Chelsea hosting Liverpool, so Bournemouth will drop out of the spotlight quickly — but three home points against a west London rival strengthens their case for another season above the drop zone.
Semenyo, linked with winter transfer interest, downplayed speculation in the tunnel interview, citing Iraola's project. For Fulham, the priority is converting possession in the final third before midweek travel; for Bournemouth, carrying momentum to the next home crowd under the Vitality lights.
Tactical notes
Bournemouth's wide overloads forced Fulham full-backs inside, creating space for Tavernier and Semenyo to combine. Silva switched to a back five after the second goal, but set-piece defending remained a weakness as Senesi punished a loose mark. Fulham's xG chart showed chances, yet final passes into the box lacked the cut-through of earlier away wins at Manchester City.
Attendance at the Vitality topped 11,200, a sell-out under Friday lights. Local pubs reported late licensing requests for the rematch fixtures in spring, a small economic footnote to a morale-boosting win for the south coast club.