Everton 3 Bournemouth 0
The Toffees welcomed The Cherries to Goodison Park hoping they would not be left chewing on a stone once again as they looked to end a run of four straight league defeats at home. They were facing a side who are struggling to buy goals at the moment, a recipe surely for them to get back to winning ways.
Andoni Iraola’s side could not have got off to a worse start as they looked like some sort of travelling circus, giving the ball away and slipping at vital moments. Garner picked the loose ball up and slotted his shot past Neto to put Everton one up.
It was just what the home fans wanted to see as they continued to pile on the pressure, with The Cherries just about getting bodies in the way keep the ball out. Neto came to punch one such cross and as the ball dropped to Harrison outside of the box, he side-footed an effort over the stranded keeper and into the goal.
Bournemouth looked at sixes and sevens as Calvert-Lewin met a cross with his head, only to see his effort came back off the crossbar. As Sean Dyche’s side continued to turn the screw, Onana spun on a ball in the box but his effort went narrowly wide of the post.
Credit: @Everton
Iraola’s side gifted the ball to Doucoure in the second half and he should have done better as he hit a tame effort straight at The Cherries’ keeper. Calvert-Lewin was the next to spurn a chance as he looked to loft one over the keeper but saw his effort sail over the crossbar.
Everton continued to create chances and as McNeil clipped the ball into the box from the byline, Harrison’s header was saved but with both keeper and defender in the back of the net, Doucoure smashed the ball into the goal.
Onana almost scored as his header was blocked on the line and then Neto saved his follow-up shot to prevent The Toffees adding a fourth. Sean Dyche’s side now looked like scoring every time they came forward.
Zabarnyi beat Pickford with a header but McNeil was on the line to hook it clear. Substitute Kieffer Moore then drew the first save out the Everton keeper in the game but it was straight at him, although he still opted to elaborately punch the ball clear when it seemed easier to catch it.
Everton held on for the much-needed win but things do not look good for Bournemouth as they were convincingly beaten by a side who would be seen as a rival at the wrong end of the table. The Toffees go into the international break in a more positive mood following these three points.
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