Marcus Tavernier expressed his frustration after Bournemouth’s goalless draw with Brentford in the Premier League.
The Cherries produced 1.99 expected goals (xG) to Brentford’s 0.4 and saw a goal from Evanilson ruled out for offside, but Andoni Iraola’s side could not get across the line at the Vitality Stadium.
Tavernier had more shots (five) and more touches in the box (seven) than any other player in the match; only against Sheffield United in November 2023 has he had more attempts (six) in a Premier League game.
He also became just the second Bournemouth player to hit the woodwork twice in a Premier League game, after Jack Wilshere against Watford in October 2016.
Tavernier could not hide his disappointment after the draw, especially against a side the Cherries are yet to beat in the top flight (D3 L5).
“I think it’s a frustrating night for myself not to come away with a goal. There’s a few more boys in there with a similar feeling,” said Tavernier.
“We thought the defence were amazing tonight but, as forward players, we just couldn’t find that final touch to put the ball in the back of the net.
“We always know when we play Brentford it’s a tough game. We have always had tough games against them and they’ve normally come out on top.
“We knew we had to come out and play with the intensity we wanted to play with and I think we did that for the majority of the game. We just couldn’t find that little bit of magic to put the ball in the back of the net.”
“We’re a team with a lot of ambition and we’re all disappointed in there that we didn’t get three points.”
Tavernier reacts to #BOUBRE
— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) March 3, 2026
Brentford struggled for long periods on the south coast, though they did have chances to snatch a winner through Sepp van den Berg and Dango Ouattara.
Bees boss Keith Andrews insisted his side went for all three points, while he was also delighted with the clean sheet after conceding three to Burnley in a dramatic win on Saturday.
He told BBC Match of the Day: “Both teams tried their utmost to win the game. I don’t think either team were settling for a 0-0. Right up until the end, both teams had chances.
“We couldn’t quite find our best work with the ball, but without the ball tonight I thought we were excellent, a good reaction. To come here and get a clean sheet was really pleasing.
“I don’t think luck ever hinders you. I thought there was a resilience from the group and the way we went about it. We controlled parts of the game. But the woodwork is there for a reason. Did it help? Yeah, probably.”