Marco Rose’s search for a first Premier League win as Bournemouth manager continued after a dramatic 2–2 draw with Brentford at the Vitality Stadium. The Cherries overturned an early Kevin Schade goal through Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier, but a costly mistake from goalkeeper Đorđe Petrović allowed Schade to equalise and preserve Brentford’s long unbeaten run in the fixture.
Bournemouth entered the match hoping to break a Premier League sequence against Brentford that now stands at nine matches without a win. The Bees have not lost a league game to Bournemouth since August 2014, and their unbeaten run in the meeting is the longest any opponent has maintained against the Cherries in the Premier League.
Schade gave Brentford the lead in the 34th minute, heading in a delivery from Michael Kayode. Bournemouth responded four minutes later when Kluivert converted after a sustained period of pressure, ensuring the game was level at half-time.
Tavernier put Bournemouth ahead seven minutes after the restart, finishing a move that appeared to have placed Rose’s side on course for a long-awaited league victory. The lead did not last. In the 56th minute, Petrović attempted a pass out from the back but played the ball straight to Schade, who calmly lifted his finish into an unguarded net to complete his second goal of the afternoon.
Bournemouth pressed for a winner and substitute Ben Gannon-Doak struck the post in added time, but Brentford held out. The draw left Bournemouth with three points from four league games, still without a victory, while Brentford moved to six points and remained unbeaten after recording their third consecutive draw.
The result also created an unwanted Premier League record for Bournemouth: they are the first side to lead in each of their opening four matches of a season and fail to win any of them. They have now dropped points from winning positions in all four league fixtures since Rose’s appointment.
Rose refused to place sole blame on Petrović despite the goalkeeper’s clear error. He praised the team’s performance and maintained that Bournemouth can take confidence from their ability to compete, create chances and establish leads, while recognising that they must become more ruthless in protecting those advantages.
The original draft incorrectly describes Rose as reaching his 50th match in charge; reports indicate that he celebrated his 50th birthday on Friday. It also overstates Bournemouth’s previous Premier League record and league position. The confirmed position after the draw was 15th, not 13th, and the immediate issue is not a six-match league winless run under Rose but a four-game start without a victory.
