Bournemouth's Unwanted Record Grows as Brentford Extends Unbeaten Run

Bournemouth walked off with a point and a statistic no team wants. Four games, four leads, no wins. No side in Premier League history has ever started a season like that.

The draw keeps them 15th, stuck in a strange limbo: competitive, lively, but still searching for a complete performance that actually delivers three points.

Manager Rose, though, refused to dwell on the record. Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, he preferred to lean into the character his players showed after falling behind for the first time this season.

“We were behind for the first time this season, we reacted well, and lucky me, we didn't concede a late goal. We had more chances, more possession, we were the best team.”

It was a familiar pattern. Bournemouth carried plenty of the ball, pushed Brentford back for long spells and carved out opportunities, but again came away with only a share of the spoils. The margins, Rose insisted, are still on the wrong side.

“Brentford is a tough opponent, they are good for second balls and have quite big guys and ballers as well. I liked how we competed, the way we defended in most situations. I like the way we attacked, our attitude. We were unlucky in a couple of situations, so we just get a point.”

For Brentford, it was another reminder of their grip on this fixture. A hard-earned draw stretches their unbeaten Premier League run against the Cherries to nine matches, with five wins and four draws in that sequence. It also mirrors their four-game unbeaten start from the 2023-24 campaign, a platform that once again keeps them steady while others around them stutter.

Andrews, though, cut a slightly dissatisfied figure. The Brentford boss saw enough from his side to take something, but not enough to meet the standards he has drilled into this group.

“I thought we could have done better. We did not hit the levels we set for ourselves,” he admitted. “We come to a difficult place. They play a very specific way, and it was difficult to deal with at times. Equally, we did not make life easier for ourselves by certain things we were doing. Overall, I think it's a point game.”

If Brentford didn’t quite purr collectively, one man did. Schade’s two-goal display gave their attack a cutting edge and underlined why Andrews is so excited about his form.

“He [Schade] was electric, he really has,” Andrews said. “The second he has come back in pre-season, the way he has attacked everything. He's in a good rhythm with his game. He looks very free at the moment, so long may that continue.”

So Brentford extend a quiet dominance over Bournemouth and keep their early-season momentum intact. Bournemouth, energetic but exasperated, are left wrestling with the same question: how long can you keep playing like this without finally turning a lead into a win?