Bournemouth's Unwanted Record Despite Fight in Draw Against Brentford

Bournemouth walked off with a point. They also walked into the record books for all the wrong reasons.

The draw leaves them 15th in the Premier League and makes them the first side ever to lead in each of their opening four fixtures without winning any of them. Four fast starts. No victories. It is a statistic that stings.

Rose, though, refused to dwell on the frustration. Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, he chose to lean into the character his players showed.

"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," he said, underlining a performance he clearly felt merited more than a single point.

He knew exactly what his side had been up against.

"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."

There was pride in the way Bournemouth matched the physical edge and aerial threat of the visitors. There was also the nagging sense that, once again, control of the game had not translated into a win.

Brentford, for their part, quietly extended a remarkable run. This hard-earned draw stretched their unbeaten top-flight sequence against the Cherries to nine matches (W5 D4), and it also matched their four-game unbeaten start from the 2023-24 campaign. Different season, same resilience.

Andrews was not entirely satisfied, even as that record stayed intact and his two-goal forward stole the headlines.

"I thought we could have done better. We did not hit the levels we set for ourselves," the Bees boss admitted. Standards matter at Brentford now, and he made it clear this display fell short of their usual sharpness.

"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."

The contest swung on moments, and one of them kept arriving in the same boots. Schade’s performance lit up Andrews’ assessment.

"He [Schade] was electric, he really has. 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 march on, unbeaten and quietly efficient, even when below their best. Bournemouth, meanwhile, are still searching for a win their play keeps threatening to deliver.

How long can a team keep starting this well without finally turning that promise into three points?