DANGO OUATTARA netted a hat-trick as Bournemouth blew apart Nottingham Forest’s title dreams on the south coast.
The Cherries tore apart Forest’s eight-game unbeaten league run to stake their own claims to European football.
If Forest are Surprise Package of the Premier League this season-then the Cherries are the Sensations of the top-flight.
Andoni Iraola’s boys just love chewing up club reputations this remarkable campaign that never ceases to inspire the underdogs everywhere.
And you can’t argue the Premier League’s smallest club don’t deserve the accolades now being chucked at them.
Forest arrived on the south coast in third place but the Cherries are now just four points off them.
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And to think just 17 years ago I was reporting on this club fighting for their lives at the bottom of League Two!
Bournemouth had scored just 12 goals at home before kick-off and now they’ve banged in FIVE against one of the form teams in the top-flight.
Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo also weighed in with goals as the Cherries increased their club record undefeated league run to 11 matches.
Forest’s Chris Wood has been pulling up trees this season and seconds after the kick-off he headed the ball on for Anthony Elanga to hit the side netting.
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Then within minutes visiting goalkeeper Matz Sels had to stretch his body to tip aside Lewis Cook’s corner.
And if that was a warning for the title outsiders then they head it, going behind after just nine minutes.
Kluivert amazingly picked up a throw-in way inside his own half and just ran 40 yards with the ball as three Forest defenders stood off.
What they were thinking no-one knows but the Dutchman didn’t care as he let fly as he thumped home his 12th goal of the campaign.
Birthday boy Santo was left livid on the touching throwing up his aims in total despair at such a soft goal to give away.
The simplicity of the goal stunned Forest, who had won just one of their previous 10 games in Dorset.
The visitors did recover their composure and recalled skipper Ryan Yates tested Bournemouth goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with a 28-yarder which the Chelsea loanee pushed to safety.
Then a slick move saw Elliot Anderson chip the ball to Anthony Elanga who nodded it on for Morgan Gibbs-White to drive wide.
But that didn’t stop the Cherries from causing their usual chaos up front against a team that had won seven of their last eight league matches.
Ryan Christie drove a powerful effort straight at Sells before Antoine Semenyo’s grubber along the ground was blocked by Sels and Nikola Milenkovic cleared.
Some harsh words from the gaffer at half-time certainly sparked Forest into more forward action.
Within minutes Milenkovic saw a towering header tipped over the bar by Kepa before Jota Silva had a close-range effort blocked.
No doubt Santo had ignited their passion, reminding them that only leaders Liverpool had won more away games than them.
But this Bournemouth side have no respect for reputations this season-just ask both Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Spurs and Newcastle!
And Santo was left motionless on the sidelines when the Dorset minnows-the smallest club in the top-flight doubled the score on 55 minutes.
Kluivert clipped over the perfect cross for Ouatarra to leap head and shoulders above Murillo to head into the far corner.
Within two minutes Kluivert had the ball in the net again but VAR spotted Ouatarra was offside in setting it up.
But that didn’t stop the Burkina Faso international blasting Forest’s unbeaten run out of the water when he turned Murillo inside out before slotting home.
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Forest simply couldn’t contain the cheeky Cherries and Ouattara claimed his first treble for Bournemouth three minutes from time after Sels had palmed the ball to him.
And in stoppage time Semenyo blew the candles out on Santo’s birthday cake when he slotted home the fifth.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
