The £12.6 million summer transfer from Juventus had yet to score for Bournemouth until he netted from a corner, giving Andoni Iraola’s team a 1-0 win over Ange Postecoglou’s inconsistent Tottenham side.
Tottenham, on the other hand, started with a forward trio of Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski, and Dominic Solanke at the Vitality Stadium. The pair of wide players were in exceptional form, while their £65 million striker had netted 19 Premier League goals during the 2024/25 season. Spurs also had the option of bringing on Heung-Min Son from the bench.
However, none of Tottenham’s attacking options could break Bournemouth’s defense. This might have been different if Son, considered one of the best attackers in the Premier League alongside Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, had been introduced earlier than midway through the second half.
Bournemouth defender Huijsen praised the Premier League’s quality, telling Gazzetta dello Sport, “The Premier League is magical. Every weekend, you can win or lose against anyone. It’s less tactical than Serie A, but faster and more intense. Champions are everywhere, but no one has impressed me more than Haaland and Son.”
Son celebrated his 32nd birthday in July. Though he may have lost a step, he has still contributed seven goals and six assists from 19 appearances this season. In fact, Son recently broke a Tottenham Hotspur record with 68 Premier League assists during their 5-0 win over Southampton. However, with his age in mind, Spurs seem to be planning for the future and are reportedly eyeing Borussia Dortmund’s rising star Jamie Gittens, whose breakthrough season in the Bundesliga has caught their attention.
Dortmund’s director, Lars Ricken, firmly stated that the club intends to keep Gittens long-term, rejecting any offers, including one in the region of £40 million. He explained, “We want to develop further and keep players like Jamie, who has a long-term contract.”
Meanwhile, Bournemouth’s Iraola will face Manchester United this weekend, and Tottenham will host Liverpool. Spurs are also interested in Bournemouth’s Illya Zabarnyi, with his center-back partner Huijsen sharing how he was persuaded to join the club. He revealed, “Sporting director Tiago Pinto had already signed me on loan to Roma last January, and in the summer, he convinced me to join Bournemouth by outlining their ambitious project. I have no regrets. I’m increasingly happy here, and I’m not surprised by our sixth-place standing in the Premier League. We have an excellent coach in Iraola and players with enormous potential, like Kluivert, Semenyo, Zabarnyi, and Kerkez.”
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