Bournemouth swept aside Crystal Palace 3-0 at the Vitality Stadium to extend their remarkable unbeaten run to 14 Premier League matches, but the victory was overshadowed by a fiercely disputed penalty decision that left Palace fans and pundits alike questioning the officials.
Eli Junior Kroupi converted from the spot to double Bournemouth’s lead shortly before half-time, a moment that proved decisive in a contest the hosts utterly dominated. The controversy began when Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson appeared to have claimed a routine throw-in, only to drop the ball onto Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi and then make contact with the Argentine as he stumbled. Referee Simon Hooper initially pointed to the spot, and a VAR review upheld the on-field decision, despite replays showing minimal contact.
“That is an absolutely shambolic decision to give that Bournemouth penalty. Dreadful on-field decision, dreadful from VAR,” wrote one aggrieved supporter, Joshua Keeling, encapsulating the mood of discontent among the travelling contingent. The debate will only intensify given that Crystal Palace had enjoyed 48 per cent of the ball in the first half yet failed to register a single shot on goal, while Bournemouth carved out 10 attempts before the interval.
The deadlock had already been broken in unusual fashion. Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma, under pressure from a corner, inadvertently headed the ball past his own goalkeeper Dean Henderson. The deflection was sufficient to deceive the Palace shot-stopper, and the goal stood despite Henderson’s attempts to claw it off the line. It set the tone for a chastening afternoon for Oliver Glasner’s side, whose league campaign was described as “peetering out into the flattest of pancakes”. The Austrian manager cut a thoroughly miserable figure in the dugout as his team offered next to nothing in attack.
Kroupi had earlier squandered a chance to make it 3-0 after fine work from Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier down the left, but he made no mistake from the spot, whipping the ball low into the bottom-left corner as Henderson dived the wrong way. The Cherries’ third arrived midway through the second half when a sloppy pass from Maxence Lacroix put Tyrick Mitchell under pressure. Bournemouth turned over possession and David Brooks slid the ball through to Rayan, who had made a clever run behind the Palace defence. The Brazilian had time to look up before firing beyond Henderson into the far corner.
Palace’s best moment came when Eberechi Eze, on as a substitute, struck the post after being picked out by a wonderful Adam Wharton pass. The effort may have been offside, but it summed up a day when little went right for the visitors. Ismaila Sarr later had a chance when the ball broke to him from a deflection, but he scuffed his shot wide. Four minutes of added time offered no reprieve. Bournemouth climbed to seventh with 49 points, their longest unbeaten streak in the top flight putting them in contention for European qualification for the first time in the club’s history. Palace, 13th with 43 points, have an outside chance of reaching Europe through the league but their best route remains winning the Conference League, having reached the semi-final first leg.
League round-up: United race clear; Chelsea Women cruise
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Manchester United raced into a 2-0 lead against Liverpool at Old Trafford, with the contest offering a far more open spectacle than the one-sided affair on the south coast. United, who started with Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo among their substitutes, named a strong XI including Harry Maguire, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes. Liverpool, unchanged in goal with Freddie Woodman, fielded Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo from the outset.
In the Women’s Super League, Chelsea beat basement side Leicester 3-1 at half-time, with Sam Kerr opening the scoring and Lauren James adding a brace. Shannon O’Brien pulled one back for the Foxes. Chelsea cannot catch Manchester City at the top of the WSL table but need the points to guarantee direct entry into next season’s Women’s Champions League. City earlier edged past Liverpool 1-0, while Tottenham beat London City Lionesses 2-1.
Across Europe, Sassuolo led AC Milan 2-1 after Armand Laurienté added a second against 10-man Milan. Fikayo Tomori had been sent off after receiving two bookings for the Rossoneri, while Domenico Berardi gave Sassuolo a first-half lead. In La Liga, Celta Vigo beat Elche 3-1 to remain sixth, with Getafe and Rayo Vallecano locked at 0-0 after 20 minutes. Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Real Betis and Getafe are all contenders for Europa League qualification in Spain.
Celtic dig deep to edge past 10-man Hibs and go level with Hearts
Celtic moved level on points with Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts — sitting top on goal difference — after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over 10-man Hibernian at Easter Road, a result that manager Martin O’Neill admitted came with considerable relief. The visitors dominated possession with 81.4 per cent and amassed 27 attempts on goal, but they required persistence to break down a resolute Hibs defence that has become accustomed to playing a man down.
Hibernian’s Jamie McGrath was sent off in the 21st minute after a VAR review upgraded his initial yellow card to a straight red for a late, sliding challenge that caught Alistair Johnston above the ankle. It was Hibs’ fourth red card in their last three league matches, a disciplinary record that has severely hampered their recent form. Despite the numerical advantage, Celtic struggled to find a breakthrough until Daizen Maeda latched onto a delicious through ball, initially seeing his effort flagged for offside before a VAR review confirmed the goal.
Hibs, however, refused to capitulate. On the stroke of half-time, they won a free-kick and launched the ball into the box. After a series of headers, Joe Newell stabbed the ball into the net. Replays suggested the ball may have struck his hand, but after a lengthy VAR check, the goal was awarded, ending the midfielder’s nearly 18-month wait for a league goal. “We lost a very poor goal from our viewpoint just before half-time and it changes the complexion of the game,” O’Neill told BBC Sport. “Hibs having something to hold on to and defend very strongly, as they did last week with nine men.”
Celtic threw bodies forward in the second half, with Kieran Tierney driving a low effort towards goal and Callum McGregor seeing a shot comfortably saved. The winner arrived in the 72nd minute when substitute Kelechi Iheanacho, introduced from the bench for the second consecutive game, controlled a corner that fell to him and passed the ball into the net. “There was an anxiety before the goal, but we got there,” O’Neill said. “What do I want for tomorrow [when Hearts face Rangers]? I genuinely don’t know. We’ve won today, so there’s a bit of relief for 24 hours.”
Celtic’s victory extended their winning streak to four league matches, while Hibernian suffered a third consecutive league defeat for the first time since October 2024. Thousands of empty seats dotted the home end, where the atmosphere was described as low-key, with some Hibs supporters reportedly willing their team to lose to damage rivals Hearts’ title hopes. A late chance for Ante Šuto, who could not wrap his left foot around the ball, flashed past the post, and four minutes of added time passed without further incident as Celtic held on for a crucial three points.
