Player Ratings: Bournemouth Match Performance

Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6

Left exposed for Bournemouth’s opener and had no chance with the finish. After that, he kept his side alive, reacting sharply to push away Justin Kluivert’s skidding effort and then adjusting brilliantly to claw out Daniel Jebbison’s glancing header.

Rico Lewis – 5

Stepped inside from right-back to form an extra midfielder and started brightly, even drawing an early save with a low strike. Once the tempo rose, his touch and decision-making dipped, and his influence faded before he was withdrawn.

Abdukodir Khusanov – 5

His missed challenge on Rayan in the build-up to Bournemouth’s first goal opened the door. Never recovered his position in time to repair the damage and looked unsettled whenever the ball was played in behind.

Ruben Dias – 5

Wore the armband but will not enjoy the replay of the opener, misjudging a simple long ball over the top and allowing Bournemouth in. A rugged presence as usual, yet that single lapse set the tone for a shaky defensive display.

Josko Gvardiol – 7

Caught in no-man’s land for Bournemouth’s goal, leaving a gaping hole on his flank. Then came redemption. As the clock ticked into injury time, he arrived with ice-cold composure to sweep home the winner and flip the narrative on its head.

Marc Guehi – 6

Dropped into an unfamiliar holding midfield role and spent long spells adjusting to the angles and responsibilities. Stuck at it, though, and was rewarded late on with a crucial equaliser. With Ayyoub Bouaddi on the way, this midfield experiment may prove a one-off.

Elliot Anderson – 6

The club-record signing covered serious ground, constantly shuttling to plug gaps and break up Bournemouth counters. Showed flashes of his all-action profile without yet delivering a defining moment on the ball.

Antoine Semenyo – 5

Arrived off an eye-catching pre-season but never quite caught fire here. Worked the channels, chased lost causes, yet rarely imposed himself on Bournemouth’s back line.

Nico O’Reilly – 5

Given the keys in the No 10 role but struggled to unlock the door. Found pockets of space without turning them into real chances and was taken off on the hour after a subdued outing.

Phil Foden – 5

Electric in the early exchanges, demanding the ball and producing a delicious flick to send Lewis through on goal. As the game grew scrappier, his touch deserted him and his impact dwindled before his late substitution.

Erling Haaland – 5

New haircut, same penalty-box menace — in theory. In practice, he squandered a glaring chance from just a couple of yards in the first half, then ballooned one effort over and scuffed another wide after the break. The volume of chances was there; the finish was not. Has the cut cost him his edge, or is this just one of those nights?

Subs

Matheus Nunes (on 56, Lewis) – 5

Slotted into midfield but left barely a fingerprint on the contest. Safe on the ball, rarely progressive, and never truly altered the rhythm.

Rayan Cherki (on 62, O’Reilly) – 8

The game changed the moment he stepped on. Demanded possession, drove at defenders and stitched play together between the lines. Two precise assists capped a sparkling cameo and have surely pushed him to the front of the queue for a start at Crystal Palace on Friday.

Mateo Kovacic (on 62, Anderson) – 5

Offered control and experience in the centre without seizing the game. The lingering question remains: should he have been trusted from the first whistle instead of Guehi in midfield?

Jack Grealish (on 82, Foden) – 5

Introduced late and given little time to weave his usual patterns. Kept the ball, drew fouls, but couldn’t carve out a decisive moment.