Albion’s winless run in the Premier League stretched to six games after Bournemouth took the south-coast bragging rights at the Vitality Stadium.
Goals from Marcos Senesi and Enes Unal put the Cherries on top and Albion struggled to find a way back until Julio Enciso came off the bench and had their best two efforts in the space of three second-half minutes.
But Albion have scored just four times in the last nine league games and just before the end Justin Kluivert emphasised Bournemouth’s superiority in front of goal with a third.
Roberto De Zerbi made seven changes to the side beaten by Manchester City and handed full debuts to Odel Offiah and Mark O’Mahony, taking the number of Academy graduates in the Premier League this season to ten. O’Mahony became the ninth teenager to make his debut under the Italian.
In contrast to Albion’s recent form, Bournemouth had picked up ten points from their last four home games and they were in front after 13 minutes. Lewis Dunk felt he had been fouled by Alex Scott before the hosts were awarded a corner. Enes Unal got above O’Mahony to make the first contact and Senesi nodded the ball past Bart Verbruggen from close range.
Albion’s best first-half chance came when Facundo Buonanotte darted infield from the right. He looked to be lining up a shot but delayed and Mark Travers came out to smother.
The home side threatened again when the influential Mark Scott spotted Unal in space 15 yards out but he scuffed his right-foot shot wide. It was a let-off for Albion who’d enjoyed plenty of the ball in the first half but had little cutting edge.
Welbeck was summoned from the bench to try and rectify that but the hosts ought to have doubled their lead in the 47th minute when Kluivert fired into the side netting after a three-man move opened up Albion down their right.
Five minutes later it was 2-0. Dango Ouattara dug out a cross from the byline and Unal was unmarked as he rose to power his header back across Verbruggen and inside the far post.
Albion responded and Travers was forced to tip Simon Adingra’s effort over at full stretch as the visitors enjoyed their best attacking spell.
Julio Enciso came on and nearly scored with his first touch. Facundo Buonanotte’s shot was charged down but Enciso, on the ground where he scored his first Premier League goal, fired a yard wide of the left-hand post from 12 yards. Enciso went close again in the 72nd minute with a curling effort that again was fractionally off target.
Bournemouth regrouped and scored again the 89th minute when Kluivert was given far too much time and space to cut in from the right and hammer a right-foot shot past Verbruggen, to leave Albion aiming to bounce back against Aston Villa at the Amex next Sunday.
Albion: Verbruggen, Offiah (Veltman 74), Dunk, Igor (Webster 74), Barco, Gross, Gilmour, Adingra (Enciso 66), Joao (Baleba 90), Buonanotte, O’Mahony (Welbeck 45).
Subs not used: Steele, Lallana, Moder, Fati.
Referee: Paul Tierney.
Match report in association with SnickersUK.com