Jack Grealish concluded Everton’s dismal record against Bournemouth with a stunning late goal on the south coast.
The England international struck a magnificent shot in the 78th minute that deflected off Bafode Diakite and past goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic.
Everton managed to secure a 1-0 victory over struggling BournemouthCredit: ReutersJack Grealish was the key player with his deflected goalCredit: Getty
The win certainly lifted the spirits of Toffees manager David Moyes after witnessing a humiliating 4-1 home defeat to Newcastle on Saturday.
Grealish celebrated by kissing the club badge after his decisive goal ended the team's disappointing streak of five consecutive losses to the southern team.
Bournemouth fielded their youngest-ever Premier League lineup, with an average age of 23 years and 254 days, but the experienced Everton players never appeared to be in danger.
Cherries head coach Andoni Iraola made several changes, benching three players, including star Brazilian striker Evanilson, following the weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Sunderland.
Evanilson was replaced by teenage sensation Junior Kroupi, who had scored four goals in his debut Premier League season.
Defender Adam Smith and midfielder Marcus Tavernier were also left out, while centre-back Marcos Senesi was suspended after receiving five yellow cards against Sunderland.
In another surprising move, Iraola appointed his £65 million winger Antoine Semenyo as captain.
Meanwhile, Moyes made just one change, reluctantly bringing in Carlos Alcaraz to replace his injured star centre-back Michael Keane.
Everton posed the first threat in the 13th minute when Vitaliy Mykolenko launched one of his long throws into the home box.
The hosts struggled to clear their lines but had enough players to block Jake O’Brien’s shot. To be fair, it was a promising start for the visitors at a venue where they had failed to win in their previous eight visits.
The Vitality Stadium has become somewhat of a graveyard for Toffee managers, with Sean Dyche being dismissed after a lackluster 1-0 defeat in Dorset last January.
Frank Lampard also faced job insecurity after suffering two defeats against the Cherries in late 2022, with a combined score of 7-1.
Everton caught a break in the 23rd minute when Amine Adli’s free-kick deflected off O’Brien’s arm to Semenyo.
Semenyo instinctively volleyed the ball, forcing an excellent save from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
However, referee Michael Salisbury was not interested in a penalty appeal against O’Brien.
Bournemouth had to endure three consecutive corners from James Garner just before half-time, one of which saw Alex Scott head his clearance against the crossbar.
Despite Garner’s accurate set pieces, he was later ridiculed when he blasted the ball over the stand and out of the stadium.
Kroupi provided a rare moment of excitement when he found the net right before half-time, but VAR correctly disallowed the goal for offside.
Everton hardly looked troubled against a subdued Bournemouth side that lacked offensive options with Evanilson on the bench.
Bournemouth’s injury and suspension issues worsened when Tyler Adams received his fifth booking of the season, resulting in a one-match suspension for a foul on Iliman Ndiaye.
The visitors' lack of attacking power was glaringly evident when goal-less Thierno Barry failed to score with only goalkeeper Dorde Petrovic to beat, chipping the ball wide.
The hosts were equally ineffective in attack, as demonstrated when defender Veljko Milosavljevic completely mishandled his header from Kluivert’s cross.
However, after Grealish turned the jeers from Bournemouth into cheers for Everton, the visitors came close to doubling their lead.
Petrovic did well to save Ndiaye’s volley, but the damage had already been inflicted by the England star.
Bournemouth is now five games without a win as they head into Saturday’s match against Chelsea.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of the match?
The final score was Everton 1, Bournemouth 0.
Who scored the winning goal for Everton?
Jack Grealish scored the winning goal for Everton in the 78th minute.
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Everton managed to secure a 1-0 victory over struggling BournemouthCredit: Reuters
Jack Grealish was the key player with his deflected goalCredit: Getty
