Bournemouth Echo

Hall arrives on the south coast on dual registration from Tottenham Hotspur, and said she was thrilled to join the club.

The 18-year-old is set to wear the number nine shirt and could be in line for her debut at Maidenhead United this weekend.

The young forward joins the Cherries as they hope to extend their winning run in the league, having won nine out of nine games so far this term – while also aiming to add silverware in the National League Plate and the Hampshire Senior Cup.

Hall told afcb.co.uk: “The first day is always daunting stepping into a first training session but the squad were so welcoming.

“They are very passionate and it’s the best standard I have played. They have kind of taken me under their wing and I’m very pleased.

“I’m a very competitive person and I love to win. To be here, it has that passion. I can’t wait.

“When on the pitch I am very, very competitive. I can’t wait to show all the fans what I can do.”

Hall’s father went to university in Bournemouth and she said she has a good group of friends in the area, adding that she has previous memories of playing football in the town.

She said: “My family always used to come down whenever it was sunny, like everybody else in the UK we wanted to get to the beach!

“Whenever I came down here, we never used to bring a football, I always used to say ‘dad, can we buy a football at the shop?’ “We would put two cones out and it would always be me against my two brothers and I’d always lose. But each time I did play on the beach I’d get that little bit better because they’d be absolutely hammering me!

“My family are my top supporters. They never miss a game. I go to all my brothers’ games and they are with me through and through – always by my side when I need them.”

While Bournemouth were somewhat guilty of being wasteful of some good chances, an excellent defensive performance shut Spurs out.

Dean Huijsen was the star at both ends of the pitch, with the 19-year-old netting the game’s only goal and also producing some key interventions at the back.

Huijsen's header hands the Cherries all three points over Spurs

'Luckily we could finish the job': Iraola pleased Cherries took narrow win

Here’s how the Daily Echo rated the Bournemouth players in the win.

Kepa Arrizabalaga: 7

A good performance from the Spaniard. He looked comfortable in the Cherries net and controlled his box well, punching clear well from a couple of corners and making a couple of good saves.

Milos Kerkez: 7

Another good performance from the young Hungarian. A part of the Cherries back four that kept the Spurs attack quiet for 90 minutes, he was, as usual, a threat going forward too.

Illia Zabarnyi: 8

Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen did brilliantly to keep what had been a free scoring Spurs very quiet at the Vitality. Former Cherry Dominic Solanke barely had a sniff all game, thanks to the work of the Ukrainian and young Spaniard.

Dean Huijsen: 9

I think Huijsen was everyone’s man of the match, and he’s mine too. A brilliantly taken goal from an excellent corner routine, and he made a few crucial interventions in defence – to shouts of ‘Deano’ from the Cherries faithful. A fantastic performance.

Adam Smith: 7

Smith kept Pape Matar Sarr very quiet while he was on the pitch, and then when Postecoglou threw Son Heung-Min on, he kept him quiet too. A very good performance.

Tyler Adams: 8

The American put in his best performance of the season so far and was brilliant in the centre of the park, breaking up play and disrupting the Spurs rhythm. He was also very good at releasing teammates onto the counterattack when he won duels in midfield. An assured performance from him in his second 90 minutes in a row.

Ryan Christie: 7

The Scot put in a solid performance in midfield and was good pulling the strings. He was one of the Cherries players who did miss a good chance, hitting the post in the second half, but a good performance in all.

Marcus Tavernier: 6

Tavernier’s best moment was his pin-point delivery for the Huijsen goal from a first half corner. He was useful defensively but, like his fellow forwards, was guilty of missing good chances to extend the Bournemouth lead.

Justin Kluivert: 6

As with Tavernier, Kluivert was wasteful going forward. One chance in particular, the Dutchman chose to shoot when Evanilson was free in the middle and would have had a tap in. He and the Cherries attack were fortunate the missed chances didn’t come back to bite them.

Antoine Semenyo: 6

A quiet game by Semenyo’s high standards. He had a couple of efforts on goal but didn’t have his usual impact on the game, his first since coming back from suspension.

Evanilson: 7

The striker had a good game and was excellent as usual pressing from the front. Linked up well with his fellow forwards, but, as mentioned, he and his teammates were fortunate they weren’t left to rue their missed opportunities.

Substitutes:

Lewis Cook: 6

David Brooks: 6

Enes Unal: 5

Philip Billing: 5

Bournemouth led after 17 minutes after the Spanish U21 international's header from a corner, the 19-year-old netting his first for the club.

The hosts had a number of opportunities to add to their lead in the second half as Spurs pushed for an equaliser, but they weren’t able to find it and the Cherries secured the points.

Andoni Iraola made two changes to his starting 11 that beat Wolves last weekend.

Huijsen and Antoine Semenyo came into the side, in place of Marcos Senesi and David Brooks, with the former dropping out of the squad through injury, while the latter dropped to the bench.

For Spurs, Ange Postecoglou named former Cherries striker Dominic Solanke in his starting side to face his old club for the first time since joining Spurs in the summer.

The visitors got the game underway, with defender Ben Davies booked in the early exchanges as the Cherries looked to break through Evanilson.

It was Spurs who had the first chance of the game, Dejan Kulusevski shooting straight at Kepa after good work by James Maddison in midfield.

Solanke shot over after eight minutes, before Evanilson had the Cherries first shot on target from very close range, Fraser Forster diverting behind.

And from the resulting corner, the hosts opened the scoring.

Huijsen peeled round to the back post and was unmarked to put a fantastic header past the Spurs keeper.

Yves Bissouma went into the book for a foul on Justin Kluivert, before Marcus Tavernier had the ball in the back of the Spurs net, but the flag was up for offside.

The Cherries went close to doubling their lead just before the break, as a Tavernier header from a Kerkez cross was well saved by Forster down to his left, as the Cherries headed into the interval with their one goal lead intact.

Bournemouth had the best early chance in the second period, Kluivert’s shot saved by Forster after a brilliant break by the Dutchman, after Kepa had done well to punch off the line from a Spurs corner moments before.

Spurs went close but a Kulusevski cross was just too high for the arriving Davies, before Son Heung-Min had the ball in the back of net in his first action since replacing Pape Matar Sarr, but he was offside.

Evanilson saw a shot saved by Forster, before Maddison curled an effort just past the post.

Iraola went to his bench, Dango Ouattara replacing Kluivert, before Kepa saved well from Pedro Porro’s first time volley after the keeper punched clear a corner.

Christie hit the post for the home side minutes later, after good link up play between he and Evanilson, the Scot’s effort just going wide off the woodwork.

The Brazilian had the ball in the back of the net with just under 20 minutes to play, but this too was offside.

Tavernier curled a shot wide after good work in the press from Evanilson, before Ouattara blasted wide after good work from Adams in midfield to win the ball back.

Lewis Cook replaced Christie, before Tavernier fired a good chance over the bar after Semenyo’s cut back as the game entered the final ten minutes.

Ouattara fired over a good Cherries chance, as Iraola made a triple change for the final five minutes, Enes Unal, Philip Billing and David Brooks replacing Evanilson, Tavernier and Semenyo.

Unal had a good chance shortly after but fired straight at Forster, before Ouattara again fired high and wide after a Cherries counterattack.

The Cherries held off Spurs in six added minutes as they took the points to move into the top ten of the Premier League and above their visitors.

AFC Bournemouth: 13, Kepa (booked, 62'); 3, M. Kerkez; 2, Dean Huijsen; 27, I. Zabarnyi; 15, A. Smith (c); 10, R. Christie (L. Cook 77'); 12, T. Adams (booked, 68'); 16, M. Tavernier (P. Billing 85'); 19, J. Kluivert (D. Ouattara 64'); 24, A. Semenyo (D. Brooks 85'); 9, Evanilson (E. Ünal 85').

Cherries lead Spurs after Huijsen header  Bournemouth Echo

A win for the Cherries will see them overtake Spurs in the Premier League, with the London side sitting in seventh holding 20 points.

The Cherries will be hoping to climb from 13th in the standings, where they currently hold 18 points.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou said Bournemouth are ‘a tough challenge, not just of late but from last year’.

In his pre-match press conference, he said: “They came here and were really aggressive with their football.

“Especially at their place, they’ve beaten City and Arsenal at their place.”

The Cherries’ previous performances have seen them beat Arsenal 2-0 in October, and take three points off City with a 2-1 win back in November.

Elsewhere, Andoni Iraola’s side have missed out to Brentford and Brighton 3-2 and 2-1, before beating Wolves 4-2 on Saturday.

Postecoglou continued, saying: “They are one of those sides where they have a real consistency in performance and approach, so you know that you’re in for a battle.”

He went on to say: “I’m really looking forward to it.”

The pair most recently collided in December 2023, where Spurs won at home 3-1.

Since Postecoglou took over as head coach of Spurs in June 2023, Bournemouth have faced losses in both matches played against them.

The most recent clash in December, and previously a 2-0 loss at the Vitality in August 2023.

In terms of team news, Postecoglou faced questions on if Dominic Solanke could be a last minute decision to face his former club in Bournemouth.

Solanke missed Sunday’s clash between Spurs and Fulham due to illness, but Postecoglou mentioned the forward would be returning to training ahead of Thursday’s match.

He said: “He is still not 100 per cent but has definitely improved from the weekend. That’s it.”

Solanke left Bournemouth to join Spurs in August 2024, and since then has scored four goals in ten appearances for the London club.

Whilst playing for the Cherries, he made five appearances versus Spurs, scoring one goal against them.

Both sides have perhaps lacked some consistency this season, but both AFC Bournemouth and Spurs will hope to make the most of the congested festive period of fixtures.

Former Cherries striker Dominic Solanke faces a late assessment to see if he is fit to face his old club for the first time since joining Spurs in the summer.

The Daily Echo previews the game at the Vitality Stadium.

Team News

The Cherries will be boosted by the return of Antoine Semenyo from suspension, while Lewis Cook, who missed the weekend’s game with a small muscle discomfort, will be assessed on Thursday.

They are without long-term absentees Alex Scott, Julian Araujo and Luis Sinisterra.

For Spurs, former Cherries striker Dominic Solanke is set for a late assessment before a decision is made on if he will face his former club.

Ange Postecoglou said the Englishman was ‘not 100 per cent’ but would be training on Wednesday before the trip to the south coast.

Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Wilson Odobert, Mikey Moore and Guglielmo Vicario all remain sidelined.

Head-to-Head

Bournemouth do not have a good historical record against their visitors on Thursday.

The two sides have met a total of 15 times across their history, with Spurs winning 10, Cherries three and drawing two.

In the last six games between the two sides, the Cherries have won one – a 3-2 victory away at Spurs in April 2023.

Besides a 0-0 draw at the Vitality Stadium in July 2020, Tottenham have won the other four meetings, including completing the league double last season.

The pair met in August 2023 at Dean Court, with Cherries falling to a 2-0 defeat, before they lost 3-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on New Year’s Eve.

In the home meeting, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski netted for Spurs in a comfortable victory for the visitors, as Iraola’s start to life as Cherries boss without a win continued.

But it was a different story headed into the game on the final day of 2023, as the Cherries came into the game off the back of four wins.

Spurs, though, produced a clinical display with goals from Pape Matar Sarr, Son Heung Min and Richarlison gave them the points, despite Alex Scott’s late consolation goal.

Last Time Out

The Cherries were victorious away at Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, returning to winning ways after defeats to Brentford and Brighton.

It was a historic day for Justin Kluivert and Evanilson, with the Dutchman becoming the first player to score a hattrick of penalties in the Premier League, after the Brazilian became the first to win three in a Premier League game.

Milos Kerkez added a wonderful goal for the Bournemouth second as the Cherries returned to the south coast with all three points.

Spurs, meanwhile, drew 1-1 with Fulham at the weekend, after Brennan Johnson’s opener was cancelled out by Tom Cairney, who was then sent off, but Spurs couldn’t make the most of the extra man.

This came after draws with Roma in the Europa League and a thumping 4-0 victory away at Manchester City.

Spurs travel to the south coast after a somewhat inconsistent start to the Premier League season, but sit seventh in the league, ahead of Wednesday night’s fixtures.

The Cherries, should they beat Ange Postecoglou’s side, would move above the London club.

Previewing the game at the Vitality Stadium, and asked about Spurs’ inconsistency so far this term, Iraola told the Daily Echo: “We prepare for the best Spurs.

“I think if we want to have any chance tomorrow, we have to limit their offensive game.

“If they play, especially offensively, to their level, it's going to be very difficult for us. So we have to try to limit their offensive play, try to reduce the number of chances they normally create, try to reduce the number of time they spend around our box.

“And this is the first part, if we can do this and limit a little bit what they do offensively, we might have a chance.

“If they play like most of the days, it's going to be very difficult.”

Postecoglou said in his pre-match press conference that he is expecting ‘a battle’ at Dean Court – with two teams playing with an aggressive, front foot pressing style.

On if he’s expecting the same, Iraola said: I think he's focusing on the way both teams play. We are going to press; they are going to press us.

“They will not leave us time on the ball, we will try not to leave them time on the ball, and there will be a moment probably that the game opens.

“But we have to be very ready.

“We cannot open too much the game, always, in every moment of the game.

“We will have to control it better when it's for our best interest to happen or when sometimes we have to close it, because it's a team that physically is elite.

“Their recovery runs are very good, everyone runs to attack.

“So it's not easy to win this kind of physical battle that they always propose.”

The Cherries will be boosted by the return of Antoine Semenyo after his suspension, while Lewis Cook will face a late fitness test.

The same is the case for Spurs’ Dominic Solanke, who may face his former side for the first time since leaving the club in the summer.

On the prospect of facing Solanke once again, Iraola said he would prefer not to face him – but they have prepared for him being in the team.

He said: “If he plays, obviously we will have to try to challenge him, to be ready for everything.

“We know him very well, but also he knows everything we do and I'm sure he's going to be the first one that will give all the info and will help the staff to prepare for our game.

“But it's also a good challenge for us.”

George Bristow was invited by Tottenham Hotspurs to be presented to the crowd at its game against Bayern Munich in the Visit Malta Cup on August 10.

A lifelong Spurs fan, George visited with his family, including his grandson, Glenn Bristow, 50, from Broadstone who arranged the trip for George.

He said: "He turned 101 in April this year and we've been trying to organise it since the start of the year. We've been speaking to the club and then we managed to get some tickets for Bayern Munich.

"I contacted one of the kit men via Instagram and he put me in touch with the PR guys at Spurs. Pat Jennings and Martin Chivers met us in the lounge and then we got the opportunity to go down the pitch."

George was born in Hackney, North London in 1923 and lived a mile from the ground in the 1930s. Both his parents are buried at Tottenham cemetery on White Hart Lane.

Moving to Parkstone in the 1960s, Glenn shared that this was George's first game in the new stadium but his grandad first attended matches as early as 1947/48.

He said: "His first memories of White Hart Lane was in 1947/48 and he said to us there were 70,000 people but everyone was stood up.

"We've got a shirt that he will put on the wall. It was a long day and we didn't get back until midnight but he's relatively able. He's recently had covid so that didn't make it a huge amount easier."

George and Glenn were joined by George's nephew, Gary Bristow, and his son, Barry Bristow.

A 5-hour journey, George and Glenn weren't the only ones travelling from Bournemouth for the match with Dominic Solanke also announced to have signed for Spurs.

Glenn said: "It was a bit of a coincidence, he [Solanke] got announced before the game. He wasn't on the pitch but he was sat on the sideline.

"It was three generations of family together, it would have been lovely to take our kids but cost didn't quite allow for that."

Solanke joins Spurs for an initial £55million, which could rise to £65m. Either way, it is a record fee received by Cherries for a player, eclipsing the £41m Manchester City paid for Nathan Ake in 2020.

It is understood 20 per cent of the fee will be due to Solanke’s former club Liverpool, who Cherries signed him from for around £19m in January 2019.

Solanke, the current holder of the Daily Echo/Micky Cave trophy, scored 77 goals in 216 games for Cherries, including 19 goals in the Premier League last season.

Cherries chief executive Neill Blake said: “When we identified Dominic as a target and brought him to the club five years ago, we did so with the understanding that this was always a possibility.

“As he began to realise the great potential we knew he had, it quickly became in the club’s best interest to protect his value and so we were delighted to agree terms on a new contract last summer.

“After Dominic’s performances for us - in particular his impressive 2023/24 season - it has come as no surprise that a team of Tottenham’s calibre has shown an interest.

“This move has developed quickly but Dominic has remained professional throughout and I’d like to thank him for that.

“It’s a testament to the character he has always shown while at this club, on and off the pitch.

“His development since arriving in 2019 is a credit to his work rate and endeavour, as well as the platform AFC Bournemouth gives young talent to grow.

“We’re pleased to secure a club record fee for Dominic and he also leaves with everyone’s sincere well wishes at AFC Bournemouth.”

Cherries’ star striker, who scored 19 Premier League goals last season, has been subject of speculation throughout the summer.

And various reports this morning claim a breakthrough has been made, with Spurs keen to get a deal done for the 26-year-old.

Solanke signed a new contract with Cherries just last summer, on a deal until the summer of 2027.

But included in that was said to be a £65million release clause, for certain clubs, which is thought to include Tottenham.

The Athletic claim Cherries have now “agreed to sell” Solanke to Spurs for a “club-record fee”.

The report says talks are ongoing to finalise a deal, with Solanke “desperate” to move to Tottenham, having already agreed personal terms.

Paulsen leaves Cherries to complete controversial loan move

Solanke joined Cherries for an initial £17.5million from Liverpool in January 2019, the striker previously having spent most of his career at Chelsea.

The Reading-born frontman has one senior England cap, which came in 2017, but was left out of the squad for this summer’s European Championship.

Solanke missed Sunday’s friendly against Rayo Vallecano due to a foot injury.

After the game, head coach Andoni Iraola said regarding transfer speculation: “I don’t have any other news. For me, it is the same situation.

“I always give you the same answer, because for me, it is the same situation.

“Until the market closes, this is how it is, not only for Dominic Solanke, but other players. I don’t know how we are going to finish.”

Last month, owner Bill Foley said: “I believe Dom is going to be with us this coming year.

“He has a release clause, which is very expensive.

“We shouldn’t reveal anything about the contract, but that area (£65m) sounds roughly correct.

“I guess if someone comes for him, we are going to have to replace him.

“We have two or three candidates that we have lined up.

“But I believe Dom will be here next year and I believe he is going to score 21 or 22 goals.”

He has made 216 competitive appearances for Cherries, scoring 77 goals.