Dango Ouattara delivered a sensational second-half hat-trick as Bournemouth secured a commanding 5-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, reigniting their push for a Champions League spot.
Fresh from a 4-1 demolition of Newcastle last weekend, Bournemouth continued their impressive form under manager Andoni Iraola. They dismantled a Forest side that arrived at the Vitality Stadium unbeaten in all competitions since early December and sitting third in the Premier League table.
The Cherries set the pace early, with Justin Kluivert opening the scoring in the ninth minute. The Dutch forward capitalized on poor defensive positioning, unleashing a stunning 25-yard strike past Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels for his 11th league goal of the season.
The second half turned into the Dango Ouattara show. The Burkinabé forward headed home Kluivert’s cross in the 55th minute to double Bournemouth’s lead. Just six minutes later, he struck again with a clinical finish. Ouattara completed his hat-trick in style, pouncing on a fumbled save by Sels after a powerful shot from Marcus Tavernier.
Bournemouth’s dominance was sealed in stoppage time when Antoine Semenyo embarked on a brilliant solo run, slotting home the fifth goal to round off a statement victory for the hosts. Ouattara Hattrick sees him as the first Burkinabe player to score a hattrick in the English Premier League.
The win extended Bournemouth’s unbeaten Premier League streak to a club-record 11 matches, underlining their remarkable turnaround under Iraola. Meanwhile, Forest, one of the league’s standout teams this season, were handed a sobering reality check.
With back-to-back emphatic wins against top-tier opponents, Bournemouth now find themselves within touching distance of an unprecedented Champions League spot, driven by their unstoppable attacking firepower.
