English Premier League: Lead-up to the Cherries vs the Cottagers
A New Key Asset for Bournemouth?
A great deal has been noted about AFC Bournemouth's defensive strength following a significant reshuffle in their defensive unit, but it was an offensive signing who stole the spotlight in the game against Leeds.
Kroupi was signed to provide depth for top scorer the Brazilian forward in Bournemouth's attack, and it was his last-minute strike that won Iraola's team a crucial result on the road.
The forward bagged an impressive 13 goals in an equal number of appearances for FC Lorient last season, which assisted the team in achieving elevation into the elite league in France.
Moving from the Ligue 2 to the EPL was always going to be a hard task and, as predicted, he has so far been limited to an bench option.
His appearance at the weekend was during the AFC Bournemouth adopting a ‘throw the kitchen sink at it’ strategy, but his calmness to fire in during stoppage time could become a valuable weapon in future.
A consistent goalscorer will know where the net is at every level and he proved that with the way he found space and calmly finished under pressure – a major event for him.
Will Kroupi get more minutes on the back of his impact on the weekend? Possibly. But without a doubt, Andoni Iraola's side have discovered an additional piece in Iraola's well-oiled machine.
