Bournemouth 2-0 Leicester: Antoine Semenyo scores twice as Cherries secure ninth-placed finish
Report and free match highlights as Antoine Semenyo scores twice to give Bournemouth a 2-0 win over Leicester; Cherries secure a ninth-placed finish with a club record points total; Leicester exit the Premier League with a whimper
Sunday 25 May 2025 20:05, UK
Antoine Semenyo's second-half double clinched a ninth-placed Premier League finish for Bournemouth as they beat relegated Leicester 2-0 at the Vitality Stadium.
Semenyo opened the scoring for the dominant hosts when he hooked Illia Zabarnyi's headed knockdown into the net in the 74th minute following a well-worked corner routine.
The 25-year-old then added Bournemouth's second, and his 11th of the campaign, with a superb low strike from outside the box after Dean Huijsen, who is leaving the club for Real Madrid this summer, had stolen possession from Leicester's Boubakary Soumare.
Bournemouth's European hopes were ended by defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday but with Brentford drawing against Wolves and Fulham losing to Pep Guardiola's side, their final-day win did at least allow them to jump two places to ninth, finishing with a club record total of 56 points.
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Leicester offered practically nothing as an attacking force, registering only three shots to Bournemouth's 20, none of which were on target as the travelling fans vented their frustrations towards the club's board and director of football Jon Rudkin.
Their goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk kept Bournemouth at bay initially, saving well from David Brooks and Marcus Tavernier, but he could do nothing about Semenyo's opener and the second goal capped another miserable afternoon for Ruud van Nistelrooy's side as Leicester lost for a club-record 25th time this season.
The Championship beckons for the Foxes but Bournemouth will hope to continue building on their progress under head coach Andoni Iraola next season, having achieved record points totals in consecutive campaigns under the Spaniard.
Huijsen says goodbye to Bournemouth
Huijsen received a rapturous reception from the home fans when he was introduced as a substitute for Marcos Senesi to make his final appearance for Bournemouth before his £50m move to Real Madrid.
The young centre-back, a revelation for the south-coast club following his arrival from Juventus last summer, even provided a parting gift with his assist for Semenyo's second goal.
The focus will now turn to the futures of Bournemouth's other stars.
Can they keep hold of Semenyo? The winger, a target for Manchester United, among other clubs, capped an excellent campaign with his match-winning brace and he is not the only player attracting interest from elsewhere.
Milos Kerkez is wanted by Liverpool and produced another eye-catching display against Leicester. There is sure to be interest in the man who masterminded their superb campaign too - Andoni Iraola has done an outstanding job.
A European place eluded them but, departures or not, Bournemouth will hope a ninth-placed finish, with 56 points, is just the beginning.
Iraola hails great season for Bournemouth
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola said: "I've really enjoyed it, this season with the team.
"This club has finished with the most goals scored and the least goals conceded (in Bournemouth's Premier League history).
"To finish the season outside of the top 10 would have been really unfair for us. I am really happy, not only with Antoine but with everyone."
Van Nistelrooy: No clarity on my future
Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy said: "I still have to wait to have a conversation on a future together or not.
"That needs to take place. It's been a hard season and of course, very disappointed with the relegation."
Semenyo hits double figures - Opta stats
- Antoine Semenyo's goals took Bournemouth to a club-record 58 for the campaign. They have also hit more than 200 shots on target for the first time in the competition, with 202.
- Semenyo scored his 10th and 11th Premier League goals of the season, netting double figures in a league campaign for the first time in his career.
- Leicester failed to have a shot on target for the third time in a Premier League game this season. No team did so more often in the competition.
Story of the match in stats...
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