AFC Bournemouth 2-2 Brentford. The Good, The Bad & The Frustrating.

AFC Bournemouth’s 2-2 draw with Brentford at the Vitality Stadium this afternoon summed up the Cherries’ start to the Premier League season under Marco Rose. There were moments of attacking quality, individual performances to celebrate and enough chances to win the game comfortably. Yet, once again, defensive mistakes and missed opportunities cost Bournemouth a much needed first league victory.

The biggest encouragement was Bournemouth’s ability to respond after falling behind. Kevin Schade’s opener could have unsettled the Cherries, but they showed the attacking intent and character to get back into the contest. Justin Kluivert’s equaliser provided the platform for a stronger second half, while Marcus Tavernier continued his excellent run of form by scoring his third goal of the season.

Tavernier’s finish was a deserved reward for his influence, but Evanilson deserves significant credit too. The Brazilian produced a superb piece of control and a clever layoff to create the opportunity, registering his third assist of the campaign. His contribution highlighted the quality he can bring to Rose’s attack, particularly when linking play and bringing teammates into dangerous positions.

Bournemouth also created enough chances to win the match. Ten shots on target compared to Brentford’s two underlined how much attacking threat the Cherries produced, and there were sustained periods when they looked the more dangerous side.

Unfortunately, the same defensive problems that have affected Bournemouth’s opening weeks returned. After working hard to establish a 2-1 lead, the Cherries allowed Brentford back into the game through another costly mistake. James Hill’s poor back-pass put goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic under pressure, and the resulting error allowed Schade to score his second of the afternoon, making that 5 goals in his last 2 games against AFCB. 

It is now becoming a real concern, as Bournemouth have now let another lead slip because of defensive mistakes, and that cannot continue if Rose’s side are to compete on multiple fronts domestically and in Europe this season. The attacking football is encouraging, but individual errors are making the work being done elsewhere on the pitch redundant.

The most frustrating element was the number of chances Bournemouth failed to convert. Antonio Silva had two poor misses from close range, including an early opportunity when the goal was gaping. The 22 year old will be frustrated with both misses, as well as Rayan, who blazed over from 10 yards out just minutes before Kluivert's equaliser. 

With the Cherries dominating possession of the game’s best opportunities, the failure to take them proved costly. A late effort from Ben Gannon-Doak struck the post, where the Scotsman was unlucky to not put Cherries 3-2 up in added time. 

The draw leaves Bournemouth still searching for their first league win under Rose. With European football approaching, there is plenty to build on, but the Cherries must learn to protect leads and be more ruthless in front of goal. Otherwise, promising performances will continue to produce frustrating results.

Onto Cherries Europa League opener against Real Sociedad on Thursday.