3 Things To Learn From Bournemouth’s Emphatic 4-0 Lincoln City Win

AFC Bournemouth finally have their first competitive victory of the Marco Rose era, and they did it in emphatic fashion.

The Cherries swept aside Championship opposition Lincoln City 4-0 at Vitality Stadium in the EFL Cup third round, with Ryan Christie stealing the show with a superb hat-trick. Rayan also got on the scoresheet, while Ben Gannon-Doak, Daniel Jebbison, Bafode Diakité and David Brooks all played their part with assists.

It was exactly the kind of performance Bournemouth needed after a frustrating opening to the Premier League campaign.

The biggest positive has to be Ryan Christie.

The Scotland international produced a clinical hat-trick, scoring in the seventh, 69th and 88th minutes, underlining that there is still a significant role for him in Rose's Bournemouth side.

Christie's versatility has always been valuable, but performances like this demonstrate that he can be much more than simply a squad player. His ability to arrive in dangerous positions, combine with those around him and contribute goals could become increasingly important as Bournemouth balance Premier League and Europa League football.

With the club needing experience during a demanding campaign, having Christie producing moments of quality is a major boost.

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect was that the goals were not dependent on one individual.

Gannon Doak and Jebbison both contributed assists, while Bafode Diakité and David Brooks also created goals for their teammates. Rayan added a much needed goal to what has been a underwhelming start to his first full season.

That variety is exactly what Rose will want.

Bournemouth have plenty of attacking options, and the Lincoln victory showed how different players can contribute in different ways. With Europa League football also on the horizon, being able to rotate without completely sacrificing attacking quality could prove crucial.

Ultimately, this was about more than progressing into the fourth round.

Rose had endured a difficult opening to his Bournemouth tenure, with three consecutive Premier League draws and a frustrating inability to turn promising positions into victories. Bournemouth had even led all three league matches before failing to win.

That made this performance particularly important.

A 4-0 victory provides confidence, momentum and, importantly, a clean sheet. The level of opposition should be acknowledged, but Bournemouth did exactly what was expected of them: they controlled the game, took their chances and never allowed Lincoln back into the contest.

For Rose, this could be the night his Bournemouth project truly begins.