Just days after his electric display against Liverpool, Alex Iwobi was unable to produce a repeat performance as Fulham fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat away at Bournemouth on Monday night.
The Nigerian midfielder, who was instrumental in Fulham’s 3-2 win over Arne Slot’s side with a goal and an assist, found the going much tougher at the Vitality Stadium. Iwobi started his 32nd Premier League match of the season and played the full 90 minutes, but his efforts couldn’t inspire Marco Silva’s men to victory.
Antoine Semenyo's early strike after just 53 seconds proved decisive, propelling Bournemouth above Fulham into 8th place, with both sides now tied on 48 points from 32 games.
Iwobi & Bassey’s influence falls short
The 28-year-old nearly equalised in the 67th minute with a stunning right-footed effort from outside the box, only for Bournemouth’s keeper to tip it wide. It was his best chance of the night, coming after a cleverly headed assist from Raúl Jiménez.
Iwobi completed 33 of 38 passes (87%), including one key pass and two accurate crosses from six attempts. He also created one big chance, registered one shot on target, and had one attempt blocked. His expected goals (xG) was 0.18 and expected assists (xA) 0.26. He had 55 touches, won two of 11 ground duels, and one aerial duel.
His compatriot, Calvin Bassey, who impressed against Liverpool, also played the full match but couldn’t prevent the early goal.
Iwobi now has eight goals and five assists in 32 games, directly involved in 28% of Fulham’s league goals. The result dents their European hopes, with seventh place and a potential Conference League spot still six points away.
