Stoke got exactly what their disjointed and lacklustre display deserved with a 1-0 defeat against a lively Bournemouth side.
Manager Mark Hughes shared the frustrations of the fans, decrying the visitors' cynical time-wasting which duly served to put a halt to any momentum his side managed to muster. The goal that decided the contest came courtesy of a free header from Nathan Ake who rose entirely unopposed amid half a dozen ball-watching players in red and white who seemed keen to create their own "Mannequin Challenge" submission on the pitch.
Positives
It is difficult to find many positives from such a frustrating afternoon, but one silver lining was perhaps the return of Glen Johnson from injury ahead of what will hopefully be a recall to the starting XI.