Antoine Semenyo believes AFC Bournemouth deserve a place in Europe next season following their narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham on Monday night.
The Ghanaian forward scored the winning goal just 53 seconds into the match—his eighth in the Premier League this season—as the Cherries ended a six-game winless run. The result lifted them above Fulham into eighth place, keeping their European hopes alive.
“I feel like what we’ve done this year, we definitely deserve the European places,” Semenyo told Sky Sports after the match. “All season long we’ve been grinding and beating the top six teams. This little phase we went through—losing and drawing—every team goes through that. That’s why this win is so important.”
He added, “We came into the game wanting to give our all, and you could see from the celebrations at the end just how much it meant. It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but it’s great to be back on track.”
Semenyo’s strike not only marked Bournemouth’s third-fastest goal in Premier League history, but it also saw him reach double digits for goals in all competitions for the first time in his career, taking his tally to 10 this season.
When quizzed by Sky Sports pundit and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry about his goal, Semenyo responded with a grin, “You know me—I have to cook. If I’m not cooking, I’m not working.”
“As soon as I got the ball, I knew I was going to shift it onto my left. I just needed space. It was a nice, tidy, calm, and collected finish. I knew the goal would come. I’m so happy—it’s such a relief.”
With form and confidence on his side, Semenyo’s contributions could prove crucial as Bournemouth continue their push for a historic European qualification.
