At the Vitality Stadium, teenage defender Dean Huijsen led Bournemouth to win over Tottenham, becoming the team’s youngest Premier League goal scorer.
Two of their last three home games had seen Andoni Iraola’s Cherries defeat championship contenders Arsenal and Manchester City.
With a goal in the 17th minute, the 19-year-old Spain Under-21 international gave the team another victory as inconsistent Spurs suffered yet another defeat in their uneven season thus far.
Bournemouth’s well-earned victory, which could have been more straightforward, saw them jump Ange Postecoglou’s visitors into ninth place.
The outstanding hosts missed numerous opportunities to score, Ryan Christie struck the post, and toothless Tottenham produced little offensively. Prior to the journey to Dorset, Spurs’ lone victory in five games in all competitions was a 4-0 thumping of champions Manchester City on the road.
Son Heung-min, the captain, was benched as one of three changes, and Dominic Solanke, who missed Sunday’s 1-1 draw at home against Fulham due to sickness, was cleared to play against his old team. The north London team got off to a strong start, and when stand-in captain James Maddison released Solanke, he wasted a shot after the recalled Dejan Kulusevski blasted directly at goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. On the counterattack, Bournemouth appeared active and gained the upper hand.
After Radu Dragusin dallied, Spurs custodian Fraser Forster made a great save to deny Evanilson, but Huijsen, a summer acquisition from Juventus, arrived unmarked at the back post to nod in from the ensuing inswinging corner delivered by Marcus Tavernier.
Fourteen minutes after the first goal, Tavernier had the ball in the net but it was obviously offside. Forster then punched away a close-range header from Milos Kerkez’s cross. Despite Tottenham’s deficiencies, Postecoglou decided not to make any substitutions during the half.
Justin Kluivert, who scored a hat-trick of penalties in Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Wolves, nearly doubled Bournemouth’s advantage as his team got back on the attack, although still being vulnerable on the break.
When Son took Pape Sarr’s position in the 57th minute, Tottenham’s play picked up speed right away. After Kulusevski’s first attempt was stopped by an offside call, the South Korea international finished on the rebound two minutes after his debut. He then slipped in Maddison, who curled just wide.
Tottenham survived a serious scare eighteen minutes from time when Evanilson’s close-range finish was disallowed for offside after Forster’s risky pass to Kulusevski was intercepted. Tavernier and the substitute Dango Ouattara both wasted great opportunities by firing over, while fellow substitute Pedro Porro tested Kepa with a thumping low drive before Christie struck the base of the left post at the other end. The misses ensured plenty of tension during six minutes of injury time, but ultimately meant little as Spurs were unable to muster a serious attempt to win the game.
