Everton finally find the end of the Xg rainbow in a brilliant 3-0 victory against Bournemouth.
Sean Dyche and the toffees welcomed Bournemouth to Goodison Park following an underwhelming 1-2 loss against newly promoted Luton Town. In response, the manager went to a different lineup, partially with a forced hand after Idrissa Gueye was injured in the warmup. The manager went with a similar lineup that has seen success so far this season, with Onana, Garner, and Doucoure anchoring as the three in midfield. Up top, Jack Harrison got his full Goodison Park debut alongside Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. At the back, a similar four of Ashley Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite and Mykolenko played in front of Jordan Pickford.
Everton supporters were hoping for a day where the toffees would show the clinical finishing that resulted in dominant victories away to Villa and Brentford. Just 8 minutes in, it seemed Everton had answered those question. Zabarnyi gave the ball away horribly to Garner 20 yards out, the dynamic midfielder drove at goal before firing a perfectly hit strike into the bottom corner putting the hosts ahead 1-0.
Everton continued to absolutely control the match through dynamic play between the midfield and the front 3, and almost added a second in the 18th minute. Jack Harrison fired at goal with his shot blocked accidentally by Calvert-Lewin. The ball fell to Doucoure whose effort on goal required a smart save by Neto. The next 20 minutes were well and truly Everton’s, dominating play before being rewarded in some style in the 37th minute.
Neto’s punch out under pressure barely got outside the box and fell to the waiting boots of Jack Harrison. The winger took no time seeing Neto off his line and struck an audacious effort from outside the box off the bottom of the crossbar, perhaps Everton’s goal of the year so far to put the toffees up 2-0. Right before the half, it maybe could have and should have been 3 for the blues. Doucoure crossed into the #9, who slammed a fantastic header off the cross bar, the ball eventually fell to Onana who falling off balance just put his effort wide of the post. In a fantastic display by the hosts, the lead was 2-0 heading into halftime.
It was another dominant first 15 to start the half for Everton, with Onana and Garner continuing to show the physicality and dynamism that makes them likely the strongest midfield combination at Dyche’s disposal alongside Doucoure. And in the 60th minute, Doucoure got his reward for his attacking efforts throughout the match. McNeil crossed into the right, after a clearance it fell to Harrison whose header was blocked off the goal line. In the scramble Doucoure latched onto the ball and thundered in from 5 yards out to put the blues out of sight at 3-0.
Nathan Patterson, Beto, and Youssef Chermiti would all get cameos inside the final 15 minutes, with the hosts never faltering. It was a dominant performance, as Calvert-Lewin, McNeil and Harrison were all brilliant up top. Doucoure once again showed his importance in linking the midfield to attack, while Garner showed everyone for hopefully the last time that he is well and truly a midfielder. There wasn’t a bad performance on the pitch, and in what has become an unusual occurrence, Everton won comfortably at Goodison Park by a score of 3-0.
Next up, Everton will be just down the road to face Liverpool at Anfield.
UTFT!
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