Norwich City 3 AFC Bournemouth 1: Jarvis enjoys dream debut for rampant hosts

A debut goal from Matt Jarvis capped off a first home Premier League win of the season for Norwich City as they brushed aside AFC Bournemouth with a 3-1 victory on Saturday.

West Ham loanee Jarvis struck with a composed finish midway through a dominant second half for the hosts, who went 3-0 up before Steve Cook pulled a late goal back for the visitors.

The game between two clubs promoted from the Championship last term was brought to life after 35 minutes when a superb run and low pass from Norwich’s outstanding Wes Hoolahan allowed Cameron Jerome to poke home inside the area. 

The post denied Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson an equaliser just before half-time, but Norwich were rampant after the break, with Hoolahan the star of the show as he got on the scoresheet with a superb drive seven minutes into the second period. 

Robbie Brady nearly added a third just on the hour, cracking the post after cutting in from the right, before Jarvis latched onto Jonny Howson’s ball to burst into the box and curl home. Cook’s header nine minutes from time proved no more than a consolation for Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth.

A cagey start yielded few chances for either side, with Alexander Tettey’s wayward half-volley on the edge of the Bournemouth box the only meaningful sight at goal in the opening 15 minutes. 

But Norwich began to play themselves into the game as the first half wore on, enjoying the lion’s share of possession, but a compact and well-drilled Bournemouth back four meant an opener continued to elude them. 

Bournemouth’s early defensive efforts were nearly rewarded just before half an hour as Junior Stanislas latched onto Joshua King’s intricate flick into the box, only to be denied by Brady’s last-ditch tackle. 

That scare sparked Norwich into life, and they came close to taking the lead moments later when Jerome fired into the side netting after capitalising on Hoolahan’s defence-splitting pass. 

However, Jerome was not to be denied a first Premier League goal of the season for long, the striker linking up with the Irishman again 10 minutes before the break to stab home a close-range effort.

Wilson came close to restoring parity on the stroke of half time, poking Cook’s header onto the post from six yards. 

Stanislas then scuffed a speculative effort well wide two minutes after the break, before Jerome fired just wide from the edge of the box. 

Hoolahan continued to run the show and was given his reward on 52 minutes, bursting through the middle of some lacklustre defending to pick his spot on the edge of the box and net with a low drive. 

Jerome poked wide four minutes later as Norwich continued to press, before Brady cut inside to strike the post with a stinging drive.

Yet Norwich’s determination to seal the win in style continued and a third goal duly arrived on 67 minutes when a great run allowed Jarvis to jink into the box and calmly curl home. 

Cook pulled a goal back 10 minutes from time, but it was never going to anything more than a consolation for Bournemouth, who have now taken just four points from their first five Premier League games.