Smashed 0-3 by Watford - the Cherries are in deep, deep trouble

Match ReportAFCB 0 v 3 Watford12 January 2020Attendance: 10,384 A bottom of the table clash.Are Bournemouth one of the worst three sides in the Premier League this season? On this showing, yes, they truly are. While hardly managing a shot in the first half, Bournemouth fell behind to a goal of their own making, by gifting Sarr the ball by playing out form the back and seeing Decouré clip the ball past Mark Travers. It only got worse with Troy Deeney lashing in a second goal on 65 minute, before Pereyra made Bournemouth suffer even more with a third goal in added time. Even Eddie Howe has run out of excuses for his players' poor performances.
Bournemouth had Adam Smith and Nathan Aké back from Injury in defence and Mark Travers got a start in goal over Aaron Ramsdale, who had a hamstring problem. Billing was moved to the bench, despite scoring two goals in the FA Cup last week.

Ramsdale joins the fans in the North stand.More images on Match Day Gallery

Match Description
It was a defending noise at the start of the game. Sarr put an early cross in AFCB 's box but Harry Wilson defended well.

Sarr then was put through but shot wide after Fraser gave the ball away. Watford's corner was cleared by Steve Cook for a second corner. Denney went down on the box but VAR said no foul.

Aké was playing at left back and Adam Smith on the right. I'm not sure why Aké can't play centre-back when Bournemouth had Rico on the bench.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -available now!Adam Smith's shot bounced up towards Solanke but Foster got there first to smother it.

Lerma was fouled is fouled. Harry Wilson pulls a save out of Foster for a corner. Lerma wins some headers but Callum Wilson couldn't get a shot away.

Adam Smith is booked for sliding in on Sarr. Meanwhile, Harry Wilson has hurt his shoulder.

 There'sno real pattern to the game, but many tasty challenges. Francis gives the ball away and Travers saves well at the near post from Delefeuo. Really poor from Francis. Deeney heads wide from the corner.

Gosling blocks Decouré. Bournemouth are playing themselves into trouble at the back.

Advertisement Coastal Garden BuildingsFraser puts too much on his cross. Fraser gets in behind again on 24 minutes for a corner. Aké challenges Foster in the air, but the ball doesn't drop Bournemouth's way.

Deeney wins a header but it's wide. Harry Wilson goes for a long shot and gets a corner.

Lerma knocks his knee but continues. Adam Smith goes down and gets a free kick. Lerma volleys it over.

Travers makes a mistake at the back giving it away to Sarr, it is crossed back for an easy tap in by Decouré. Francis gave Travers the ball right on his goal line and Steve Cook didn't exactly make himself easily available for Travers. That was careless and has gifted Watford the goal they wanted.

 Bournemouth free kick. It's cleared.

Fraser gets a corner, Adam Smith gets back to tackle Deulofeu.
A goal down at half-time.Second half
Fraser crossed well but Foster cat he's it ahead of Gosling. Going makes a good break but can't get Solanke in. Mariappa crossed to Doucouré but the header is weak. Watford have a corner. Capoue  has a shot blocked.

Fraser gets a corner. Callum Wilson heads wide. Lerma then shoots wide.

Ake hurts his back but runs back and Deulofeu. has put the chance over.

Deeney is carded for fouling Harry Wilson. Callum brings the ball down from Fraser's cross but puts it wide.

Lerma and Gosling are subbed for Billing and Lewis Cook on 59 minutes.

AdvertisementBilling bursts into the box but can't control it. Wilson and Solanke break well before Fraser's cross is held by Foster. Chalobah shoots wide for Watford from distance.

Sarr gets down the right and when his shot is blocked, Deeney lashes it in for 0-2 on 65 minutes.

Steve Cook stops Deulofeu and Deeney hits the rebound at Travers. Billing volleys wide.

Francis blocks Deulofeu and Watford have a corner. Harry Wilson is subbed for Sam Surridge.

Surridge beats a player to get in the box but has no shot. Foster punches a free kick away ahead of Steve Cook. Sarr is subbed for Pereyra on 82 minutes.

Decouré shoots and it goes out for a throw. Billing shoots wide at the other end.

Decouré is subbed for Success on 85 minutes. Delefeuo is subbed for Gray on 90 minutes. Four minutes of added time go up.

Watford grab a third despite Fraser saving a shot on the line, Prereyra scores.
Bournemouth are rooted in the bottom three.Summary
A dismal performance by the Cherries. They couldn't keep the ball and they didn't know how to work the ball well enough to create any chances. Meanwhile, they caused their own chaos at the back by playing it out when under a high press. I wonder if the players have their own heads sometimes. They can choose when to go long and play safe and when they have time to play out from the back, but taking unnecessary risks in the team's current position is asking for trouble. As Eddie Howe said, they never recovered from the first goal.

AFCB Line up AFCB subs: Boruc, Rico, Simpson, Surman, L Cook, Billling, Surridge
AFCB player ratings
Travers 5, A Smith 5, S Cook 5, Francis 3, Ake 5, H Wilson 4, Lerma 4 (Billing 4), Gosling 4
(L Cook 5), Fraser 7, Solanke 4, C Wilson 4.

Ref Watch: Mike Dean - 5/10

Cherry Chimes MoM: Ryan Fraser - he really kept trying.

Watford
26 Foster, 6 Mariappa, 4 Dawson, 15 Cathcart, 11 Masina 14 Chalobah, 29 Capoue
23 Sarr (Pereyra), 16 Doucouré (Quina), 7 Deulofeu (Gray), 9 Deeney

Watford Subs
1 Gomes, 18 Gray, 20 Quina, 22 Success, 24 Dele-Bashiru, 25 Holebas, 37 Pereyra

In other news, Asmir Begovic has a medical for Inter Milan.