Justin Kluivert hailed team-mate Antoine Semenyo as “world-class” after the pair combined to send Bournemouth second in the Premier League table courtesy of a 3-1 comeback win over Fulham.
Andoni Iraola’s Cherries looked set to suffer a first top-flight defeat since the opening day of the season when the Cottagers snatched a 70th-minute lead at a rain-soaked Vitality Stadium through Ryan Sessegnon.
But Semenyo produced a moment of magic to level in the 78th minute before substitute Kluivert further lit up the soggy south-coast encounter by lashing in from distance just six minutes later.
Semenyo sealed victory in the sixth minute of added time by clinically finishing a counter-attack led by Ben Gannon-Doak to claim his second goal of the evening and sixth of the campaign.
“He is incredible, he shows it every game now,” Kluivert, speaking to Sky Sports, said of Semenyo.
“He is just world-class. We are glad to have him and that is why I said we have a good team. He is the one that scores goals for us and we appreciate that. He’s doing an amazing job.”
Success for the hosts stretched their unbeaten run to six top-flight games to leave them a point behind leaders Liverpool ahead of the weekend fixtures.
Bournemouth boss Iraola added: “Antoine and Justin made the difference. The first two goals, were amazing goals.”
After Sessegnon stabbed Fulham in front following a one-two with substitute Samuel Chukwueze, Semenyo swiftly equalised by breezing past Timothy Castagne wide on the Bournemouth left before finishing through the legs of Bernd Leno from a tight angle.
Kluivert then unleashed a thunderous effort into the top-left corner to complete the turnaround with his first goal of the season before Semenyo was teed up by Gannon-Doak to kill off the contest.
“It’s a big statement,” said Kluivert. “Losing 1-0 and having the team spirit to come back is incredible.
“It’s early (in the season), but we have to strive for the highest possible (position). The mentality that we have now is not to look down but up and we will keep doing that.”
Fulham lined up without a recognised striker in Dorset, with 18-year-old midfielder Josh King deployed as a false nine in the absence of injured pair Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz.
The Cottagers remain 11th in the table and without an away win, having collected eight points from seven games.
Fulham manager Marco Silva said: “It was tough to lose the way we lost it.
“We scored a great collective goal and the game was completely under control.
“Until they equalised, they had zero chances – they arrived in dangerous areas but you don’t see one clear chance from them.
“And then two individual moments from two Bournemouth players decided the game.
“The second one is a great shot from long range from Kluivert, and the first one – two against one on the side – we have to be strong in that moment, even if Semenyo is difficult to stop.”
