Penalty number one (3 minutes)
Kluivert only had to wait three minutes before having his first chance to score from 12 yards.
There was controversy over the decision as Wolves boss Gary O’Neil thought Evanilson had handled the ball before running towards the penalty area, only to be brought down by Toti Gomes.
The incident was passed to the video assistant referee (VAR), but the decision was upheld.
Kluivert continued to look at home goalkeeper José Sa, before sending the goalkeeper in the wrong direction, with the ball going to Sa’s left and into the bottom corner.
“The first one I stop and look at the doorman, what is he doing?” said the leader.
Penalty number two (18′)
Kluivert’s next penalty came 15 minutes later, with the score 2-1 Bournemouth.
VAR played its part again, telling field official Peter Bankes to watch on a pitchside monitor to see that Sa had kicked Evanilson’s ankle after a strong first touch from the goalkeeper.
This time Kluivert “changed course”, in his own words, throwing the ball in the opposite direction, to Sa’s right.
Penalty number three (74′)
With two penalties already converted, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola admitted he was not sure Kluivert should take the third of the game for the Cherries, again awarded after a Sa foul.
“For the third I thought that maybe it wasn’t him who was going to receive it, but I didn’t want to be the one to tell him,” said Iraola, who had seen Kluivert score firsthand for Valencia against Rayo Vallecano. in April 2023.
“Every time you take another penalty it becomes more difficult. I wasn’t completely sure we should allow him to score the third, but it was difficult to take it away from him. I suffered against him in Spain, I remember that.
“The first penalty gives the goalkeeper a bit of information, Justin has two different approaches in the first two and in the third he was very good, he was full of confidence.”
Kluivert scored his third penalty beating Sa and Bournemouth took the three points, moving up to 11th place in the table.
“He doesn’t know what I’m going to do, I waited and he chose for me,” Kluivert said. “That easy.”
