Analysis: Unforgettable night for Cherries

It was a night no Bournemouth supporter will forget.

Less than 20 years after completing one of the greatest escapes in English Football League history following a 17-point deduction, the Cherries were celebrating back-to-back wins in the Europa League.

It was little wonder there was no rush for supporters to leave their seats after the final whistle, with the game, which attracted the highest attendance in the stadium's history, proving to be one of the hottest tickets in town.

It was a night filled with heartwarming moments. First, the club's longest-serving player, Adam Smith, who initially joined the Cherries in 2011 when they were a League One side, provided the cross for Evanilson to head home the opener after a dominant first-half performance from Marco Rose's side.

After offering little threat in the first half, the visitors, who were competing in the Champions League as recently as 2024, looked determined to spoil the party as they began to pepper Petrovic's goal.

It would have been easy for Bournemouth to crack under the pressure of the occasion, particularly given their tendency to throw away leads in the Premier League this season.

But this historic night had a fairytale ending, as Bournemouth, backed by the firepower from their bench - another sign of how far the club has come since the dark days of 2008 - powered to victory, ensuring the 12,000 supporters watching on home soil would have a night to remember.

If the fans thought this would never be topped, they might want to wait until AC Milan visit the south coast next week.