Fulham 0–1 AFC Bournemouth | Premier League | 9 May 2026

Result Summary

A disciplined and resolute AFC Bournemouth claimed all three points at Craven Cottage, defeating Fulham 0–1 thanks to Rayan Rocha's 53rd-minute winner. Despite being reduced to ten men for the majority of the second half, Andoni Iraola's side showed remarkable defensive organisation to secure a result that defied the run of play by almost every statistical measure.

Match Analysis

The opening exchanges were disrupted significantly by a pair of VAR-reviewed incidents that reshaped the contest entirely. Ryan Christie was shown a red card on 41 minutes following a VAR check, leaving Bournemouth a man short. Yet just before half-time, Fulham found themselves equally depleted when Joachim Andersen was dismissed at 45+7', also following VAR intervention. With both sides reduced to ten men heading into the second half, the match entered genuinely uncharted territory.

Fulham held a clear statistical edge throughout — 60% possession, 84 attacks to Bournemouth's 60, and 58 dangerous attacks compared to 29 — yet it was the visitors who converted. Adam Smith's assist sent Rayan Rocha through, and the Bournemouth forward finished with a composed left-foot strike on 53 minutes to hand his side the lead.

The numbers tell a frustrating story for Fulham. They registered 14 shots in total to Bournemouth's 10, dominated with 11 corners to 2, and completed passes at an 88% success rate. However, only 2 of those 14 shots were on target, compared to Bournemouth's impressive 5 shots on target from 10 attempts — a conversion of efficiency that proved decisive. Đorđe Petrović in the Bournemouth goal was rarely truly tested, while Fulham's attacking threat remained largely peripheral.

The second half brought further drama in the form of bookings. Rodrigo Muniz Carvalho, Saša Lukić, Antonee Robinson, and Joshua King all picked up yellow cards for Fulham, reflecting the mounting frustration in Marco Alexandre Saraiva Da Silva's side. Bournemouth were not innocent either — A. Scott and Marcus Tavernier were cautioned — but Iraola's men managed the game with enough composure to see out a hard-earned victory. Substitutions from both benches, including the introduction of Oscar Bobb and Kevin Santos Lopes de Macedo for Fulham and Amine Adli and Enes Ünal for Bournemouth, failed to alter the scoreline.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match forecast called for a Bournemouth win, assigning a 39% probability to that outcome with a confidence rating of 53/100. The prediction proved correct, though the manner of the victory — a single goal against the run of play by a ten-man side — was the kind of outcome that statistics alone struggle to anticipate. The low confidence rating reflected a genuinely competitive fixture, and so it proved.

Key Takeaways

• Bournemouth's clinical efficiency was the defining factor: 5 shots on target, 1 goal, maximum points.
• The dual red cards fundamentally changed the dynamic of the match, creating an open, unpredictable second half.
• Fulham's dominance in possession and attack counted for little without accuracy in front of goal — just 2 shots on target from 14 attempts is a damaging return.
• Iraola's side demonstrated outstanding game management to absorb sustained pressure and protect their lead through the closing stages.