Bournemouth are in the midst of a mini-revival after a below-par start to the Premier League campaign, with Saturday’s win over Huddersfield Town their third in their last four top-flight games.
Victories over Stoke City, Newcastle and most recently the Terriers have afforded boss Eddie Howe some breathing space after a disappointing start to the year left them down at the wrong end of the table.
Their latest set of three points – secured via a dominant 4-0 win at the weekend – would have served extra encouragement not least because it signified the return to top form of Callum Wilson.
The 25-year-old forward hasn’t endured the best time of it of late, spending nearly ten months on the side-lines after picking up a second cruciate knee ligament injury in the space of just two years.
Yet he returned with a bang on Saturday afternoon as his hat-trick proved too much for the newly-promoted Huddersfield, turning heads with a display full of clinical finishing and smart positioning.
His first two goals were potent finishes, one from all-but a few yards out following a corner, and whilst there may have been an element of fortune about his second after a hint of offside his third goal was an emphatic right-foot effort low into the corner in a move that he started and finished.
Wilson’s hat-trick – the first by an English player this season – earnt him 18 Draft Fantasy points, taking his tally to 21, a tally identical to some of his teammates despite far less time on the pitch.
His natural ability around the 18-yard box has been what Bournemouth have been crying out for, with the Cherries struggling to have a telling impact in front of goal during the early part of the season after going on a run of games that saw just four goals scored in the opening eight matches.
Jermain Defoe has found it difficult to resurrect the sort of form that made him stand out for Sunderland in recent years, whilst Joshua King has also been a shadow of the prolific striker he was last year.
Wilson has added a real sense of impetus into Bournemouth since his return, and it’s perhaps little coincidence that results on the South Coast have started to improve since the 25-year-old has been back in action.
His treble at the weekend signalled his first Premier League goals since scoring in the 3-3 draw against Arsenal back in January – just a few weeks before he picked up his injury – and it would no doubt have been a relief to be finding the back of the net again so soon after a long-term absence.
With Swansea City, Burnley, Southampton and bottom side Crystal Palace all to come in the next four league matches there’s a real possibility that Wilson will continue getting amongst the goals.
For a player who is likely to be unselected in most drafts, due to his injury-strewn recent history, Wilson could well be somebody worth taking a chance on ahead of the busy festive period.
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