For 70 minutes, AFC Bournemouth vs Fulham was one of the most uninspiring games of football you have seen in a long, long time. I’m sure anyone watching that on Sky Sports was wishing they were doing almost anything else with their Friday night. But following Ryan Sessengon’s opener, the game sprung into life, leading to an incredible comeback from Andoni Iraola’s men. Here are five things we learned from last night’s game:

1. Antoine Semenyo has been the best player in the league so far

It’s not ridiculous to say this, in my opinion. Yes, I am biased as a Bournemouth fan, but the stats back it up. Two goals and an assist last night takes his tally up to six goals and three assists in seven games – sensational numbers. Like most players, Semenyo was fairly quiet for the majority of the match, but his equaliser was a moment of true individual brilliance. He beat Timothy Castangne with a brilliant burst, got to the byline, and with no options on for a cross, somehow squeezed the ball through Bernd Leno’s legs at his near post. It was a moment reflecting Semenyo’s sheer quality and his ability to create something out of nothing. That ability was so desperately needed, given how little was created before that, There really aren’t many players in the league capable of doing that. His assist was one of the easiest of his life, lending the ball to Kluivert for *that* moment. But his second goal was testament to his drive, commitment, and fitness levels. In the 96th minute, to cover that much ground, but still have the composure to finish it off, tells you everything you need to know about the man. Enjoy him whilst we can.

2. Justin Kluivert has to start for the foreseeable

I said last week that Kluivert didn’t take his chance against Leeds and wasn’t quite showing the rhythm and match sharpness required, which was understandable. Against a five at the back formation, AFCB weren’t able to create anything going forward. Introduced for Marcus Tavernier, who was fairly anonymous, in the 61st minute, Kluivert truly changed the game. He finds space in between the lines much better than Tavernier, and like Semenyo, is able to create something out of nothing, as was shown last season. That winner was something truly special – if he doesn’t win goal of the month, I can’t wait to see what will. Again, in such an uninspiring game, to produce such a moment of individual brilliance is a very hard thing to do, but it was so needed, and incredible to watch. Kluivert will definitely need to start after the international break against Palace, as he is much better suited to playing against defensive structures. He may well have won his place back permanently, and deserves full credit for not kicking up a fuss whilst being benched.

3. Thank goodness Fulham scored

That in itself isn’t something that we ‘learned’ of course, but it is very, very true. Uninspiring, boring, dull, lifeless – you can use any of those synonyms to describe the opening 70 minutes, especially the first half. AFCB once again struggled against a more defensive structure, not looking like breaking down Fulham’s five at the back formation. In the second half they began brighter, with a couple of half chances for Evanilson. However, it really took Fulham’s goal to open up the game. Conditions were tough, but the same problems occurred. There was a real lack of bravery, intensity, and movement on and off the ball. Our opening two goals came from moments which showcased all three of those things, plus a shot from distance. These things are all things which are needed against a lower block, and it was nice to finally see them – hopefully we don’t have to wait so long to see them next time.

4. Andoni Iraola got his subs bang on

Like players, managers need to show bravery against a low block. Iraola did exactly that with his subs after the Fulham opener – taking off Marcos Senesi and Tyler Adams was a very bold decision. That left Bafode Diakite (who was excellent) at the base of a back three, with full backs Alex Jimenez and Adrien Truffert alongside him. Ryan Christie and Alex Scott were left as the two central midfielders, with Semenyo and Brooks at ‘wing-back’ (they were far more like wingers). Ben Gannon-Doak also came on, but played higher up than Brooks. Gannon-Doak made a brilliant impact too, with a composed assist for Semenyo’s second. After Kluivert’s goal, Iraola was able to bring on Veljko Milosavjlevic to revert to a back four, showing great adaptability from our boss. He is one of the great young managers in the game, and we are very lucky to have him. That win was as much about his changes than it was the individual moments of quality (which wouldn’t have happened without his changes).

5. Alex Jimenez must start against defensive-minded teams

When the lineups were originally announced, I was happy to see James Hill start over Jimenez, against a team stacked with quality out wide. Hill is a more defensive full-back, so it was easy to see why Iraola started him. But, unlike usual, Fulham started with a back five, meaning they had no wingers to deal with. There was lots of space for Hill if he wanted to use it, but very rarely got beyond David Brooks, not that surprising given he is a centre back by trade. Jimenez came on and showed his attacking threat, getting past Brooks and looking to take on his man. He might be disappointed that the goal came down his side, but it was a very good move in fairness to the visitors. Thankfully, this was his first appearance without getting booked – there is no doubt his discipline needs to improve, but his potential is clear, and there have been very promising early signs.

Like last week, it was extremely encouraging to get something from the game without being at our best, something we have struggled with over the years. Of course, this time was even better – all three points. You don’t want to have to rely on individual moments every week, as it’s unsustainable, but we have the quality in our team to be able to produce such moment. The incredible start gets better and better – UP THE CHERRIES.