Andoni Iraola voiced his frustration after Bournemouth slipped to a 3-2 defeat at the Stadium of Light.
The Cherries arrived in the North East without a league win since their 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in late October, having fallen to Manchester City and Aston Villa before the break and drawing 2-2 with West Ham last weekend. Early on, though, it looked as if their fortune was about to change. Amine Adli struck from close range and Tyler Adams followed up with a powerful effort from distance to put Bournemouth two goals ahead inside fifteen minutes.
Sunderland, however, mounted an impressive response. Enzo Le Fée pulled one back from the penalty spot, then supplied the cross for Brian Brobbey’s decisive header as the hosts preserved their unbeaten home record.
Bournemouth’s afternoon only worsened in stoppage time when Lewis Cook was shown a straight red card for an elbow, with David Brooks and Marcos Senesi also set to miss the next match through suspension.
“We knew it would be a tough game. We played well in spells, but we didn’t deal with their biggest threats and they punished us,” Iraola said. “We lost our composure with the referee. There was a clear foul in the build-up—if that isn’t given, then I don’t understand how the penalty is. There was contact, but not enough for me.”
He continued: “Anyone supporting us today would have ended up with a yellow or a red. The way the referee handled things made it very difficult; he lost control of the match.
“It’s a costly defeat because we’re now without three players, including Lewis for three games. Everyone is needed, and this makes things even harder.”