Schade double denies Bournemouth first league win as Brentford rescue draw

No need for distress flares just yet at Bournemouth. Trust the process, though with new frontiers of European football beckoning there are grounds for concern on the home front. If performance levels under Marco Rose remain decent, winning positions have been surrendered in his four Premier League matches. An unwanted carry over from Andoni Iraola’s tenure cannot be allowed to worsen.

Saturday’s visitors offer proof positive that panic will not help. Brentford, still unbeaten, continue to be a model of stability and sensible decision-making. And familiarity, though in central defence, with Nathan Collins absent, Keith Andrews had selected a new face in Jannik Schuster, a 20-year-old from the same Red Bull stable as Rose.

A mark of modern football 2026 is that Bournemouth and Brentford feature a member of Brazil’s World Cup squad. Rayan, over 289 minutes, made far more of an impression than the unfortunate 63 minutes Igor Thiago played against Morocco but they continue to scratch around for form. Another Brazilian, Evanilson, was far more impressive, giving Schuster a severe test with the intelligence of his running.

Early on, west London aggression held sway, Keane Lewis-Potter going close, only for Antonio Silva to miss a golden chance, heading wide a Marcus Tavernier free-kick with goal gaping, the first of many such moments for Bournemouth.

On the sidelines, Andrews was in constant, terse dialogue with his assistants. If Bournemouth’s high press is difficult to deal with then so too is Brentford’s brawn. With intensity levels high, first-half quality remained low, including an exchange of goals, both scruffy. First, Yehor Yarmoliuk faded a cross into the area for Kevin Schade to head in; Djordje Petrovic only able to deflect the ball off a post.

Bournemouth continued their miserable record against Brentford, a single win in 12 years, that the first leg of a Championship playoff semi eventually lost. Luck and precision went against them, Rayan missing a verifiable sitter, Caoimhin Kelleher palming the ball into his path. It was left to Justin Kluivert to equalise, capitalising on chaotic defending and a flat-footed Kelleher.

Alex Scott, usually so silky, blasting the ball into the car park suggested a second half of more thud and blunder only for Bournemouth to go ahead via genuine inspiration. Evanilson’s superlative control and layoff laid up Tavernier’s drilled finish. Then came calamity, another lead squandered, James Hill’s back-pass to Petrovic was scuffed straight to Schade, keeping his cool while others had lost theirs.

With Ryan Christie introduced to match up Mamadou Sangare, Bournemouth pushed hard to reclaim the lead, Brentford far less inclined to gamble on victory. After Tyler Adams’s shot forced a fine save from Kelleher, the American soon after dropped to the turf in agony when, following Scott’s flick, Rayan, the angle opening up, curled the ball somehow wide.

Rayan, subbed soon enough, like Thiago, must wait longer to break his Premier League duck for the season. Like Iraola, Rose’s approach demands much of his players and sustaining such wattage is a growing issue for a small squad.

Ben Gannon-Doak’s introduction as part of a triple change, was Rose’s attempt to add further speed to his attack. The margins went against Bournemouth in a frenzied conclusion. David Brooks’s guile was also added, though his first serious involvement was to fly into Schade for a challenge that had Andrews and his bench up in arms.

Brooks fell over the ball when in prime position to strike a Gannon-Doak pass. Gannon-Doak’s deflected shot smashing off a post in the dying embers was another opportunity passed up in a season already full of them.