One winner, one loser from Cardiff’s defeat to Bournemouth

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Life back in the Premier League did not go the way Cardiff City intended, as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth.

The Bluebirds are looking to improve significantly on their performance from the last time when they were in the top-flight, where they finished rock-bottom in 2013-14 and lost 22 of their 38 matches, but improvements are needed.

Neil Warnock’s side now have a week to prepare for their hosting of Newcastle next weekend and have plenty to talk about from the game. Here, we have identified one winner and one loser from the game.

Winner: Neil Etheridge

The first Filipino to play in the Premier League, Neil Etheridge also se-cured another notable stat as he became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty on his debut in the competition since Allan McGregor for Hull City against Chelsea in 2013.

Etheridge’s save to deny Callum Wilson from the spot was superb, getting down quickly to his left and providing a strong palm to scoop the effort away, but it also came in a crucial period of the match. Had that gone in, the result would have quickly got beyond the reach of his side.

Instead, Cardiff improved significantly in the second period and gave Bournemouth a real run for their money. Unfortunately, it was not to be today but Etheridge can hold his head high following the performance.

Loser: Bobby Reid

It may seem a bit harsh to pick out a new striker on his Premier League debut in a feature like this but Bobby Reid’s selection is more down to the disappointing support from those around him than the performance of the striker himself.

Reid, at times, looked bright and caused Bournemouth some problems. However, the forward who hit 17 in the league last season, and signed for the Bluebirds for a £10 million fee, was left feeding on scraps and never really had the opportunity to test Asmir Begovic between the sticks for the Cherries.

His relationship with the players around him should improve as the campaign progresses and Reid did enough to provide some optimism but there is clearly some work to do on the training ground.