Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola admitted man-of-the-match David Brooks came up with the perfect answer to being left out of his team during the 5-0 FA Cup thrashing of Swansea.
Wales international Brooks made the most of a rare start this season by scoring one goal and making two more as the Cherries cruised into round five on Thursday night.
Iraola said: “The wing position is where we have more options and they are all playing really well.
How good was Brooksy today? pic.twitter.com/ILcjnL68Eh
— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) January 25, 2024
“Sometimes it is difficult to leave players out. David played really well tonight.
“We were really clinical and started very strongly. It was strange to score five goals in the first half.
“We did not want to start slowly as we have in other cup games this season and were really impressive.
“Our number one priority was to be in the next round. We needed a very good performance after Sunday’s game against Liverpool, where we didn’t finish well.
“We have done our job and we are in the last 16 so let’s see what we get in the draw.”
The Cherries took the lead in the seventh minute when defender Lloyd Kelly came up from the back and found himself unmarked to hook Brooks’ free-kick into the roof of the net.
Three minutes later Brooks broke free down the right before pulling the ball back for Alex Scott to make it 2-0.
Kyle Naughton hit the post for the visitors before Luis Sinisterra scored Bournemouth’s third goal with a confident finish into the far corner, after Swansea goalkeeper Andrew Fisher had passed the ball straight to Scott.
Brooks had to wait until 10 minutes before half-time to get the goal he fully deserved after keeping himself onside to latch onto Dominic Solanke’s slide-rule pass before side-footing past the helpless Fisher.
Top scorer Solanke, who had already fired wide from another Brooks free-kick, grabbed the home side’s fifth a minute before half-time after more dreadful defending from the visitors.
Sinisterra played in a teasing low cross from the left wing and Solanke was left with the freedom of the penalty area to side-foot his 14th goal of the season from 10 yards out.
Swansea manager Luke Williams said: “It was a horrible night for us.
“I apologised to the players because I tried to set the team up to give a problem to the opposition. It is a cup game and we have to try to find a way to win.
“But I put the balance wrong, with too many players in advanced positions and then in the turnover there is not enough bodies to stem the flow of the attack, and the opposition were very good.
“In the second half we had more bodies back, but then it was very difficult for us to get near their goal. We tried to limit the damage because the scoreline was too heavy.”
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