December 30th
Brentford 2 Bournemouth 1
From the BBC Sport website:
Substitute Tariqe Fosu sent Brentford second in the Championship with a late headed winner against fellow high-flyers Bournemouth.
Dominic Solanke, denied by a sliding goalline clearance from Pontus Jansson after only 37 seconds, gave the Cherries a deserved first-half lead with a neatly flicked close-range finish after meeting a low cross from Lloyd Kelly.
Henrik Dalsgaard replied before the break with a powerful near-post header from a Mathias Jensen corner, ending Bournemouth's run of five clean sheets.
Both sides pressed for a second-half winner, with Fosu decisively coming off the bench to help extend Brentford's unbeaten run to 16 games with a coolly taken header at the far post from a brilliantly crafted Bryan Mbeumo cross.
The win at home lifts Thomas Frank's Bees above Bournemouth in the table, moving from fourth to second and to within three points of leaders Norwich after 22 games.
In west London, two promotion rivals were looking to end a turbulent 2020 with victory to boost their Premier League ambitions, with Bournemouth aiming to bounce straight back after relegation and Brentford aspiring to end a 73-year top-flight absence after losing in the play-off final in the summer.
Solanke almost gave the Cherries the ideal start after being slipped through by Jefferson Lerma, but while he squeezed a shot past David Raya it did not have the power to beat Jansson who managed to sensationally hook the ball clear.
Raya and Ethan Pinnock combined to deny the striker again soon after, but Solanke eventually put the visitors ahead with his seventh goal in 10 games after Cherries goalkeeper Asmir Begovic was tested by Jensen and Sergi Canos in quick succession at the other end.
Begovic again did well to keep Mbeumo out, but from the resulting corner Dalsgaard nodded home the equaliser from Jensen's inswinging delivery.
Chances were less clear-cut after half-time, but the tempo and quality remained high throughout as neither side were content to settle for a point.
Just after the hour David Brooks forced Raya into a save, with Josh Dasilva threatening at the other end soon after.
It was the ingenuity of Mbeumo that ultimately proved the difference, the forward creating space for his cross for Fosu's winner with some slick footwork.
The defeat was only Bournemouth's second in 11 games, but they still have a game in hand on the three teams above them.
'A good way to end the year' - reaction
Brentford boss Thomas Frank:
"Bournemouth were quick, moved the ball well and pressed us and we couldn't get in the game, but we showed solidity and stability and grew into it.
"We knew it would be a good and tight game between two good sides.
"I said at half-time that we needed to show more character and attitude if we wanted to win a game like this. After half-time we showed that - they even changed their system, so it was a good way to end the year."
Bournemouth manager boss Jason Tindall:
"We've ended up losing a game we should have got something out of...but hopefully it's a blip because I don't think we deserved to lose the game based on chances.
"We were very good and created some excellent opportunities but we didn't take the ones we had and got punished for the two defensive errors we made - that was the difference.
"It was really disappointing because we've been good defensively and for large parts we were tonight. We conceded from a corner for the first time this season and the second goal was unlike us, and that's what is frustrating."
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