Jack Grealish fires Everton to victory as Bournemouth slump continues

By Press Association Sport Reporters

Jack Grealish’s late second-half goal was enough to lead Everton to a third win in four Premier League games as the Toffees beat stuttering Bournemouth 1-0.

Grealish’s deflected 78th-minute strike, his second in Everton colours, fired David Moyes’ side to their first victory at the Vitality Stadium since 2016.

Bournemouth, who had taken only one point from their previous four games, named their youngest ever Premier League team.

Everton boss Moyes made just one change from Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at home to Newcastle as midfielder Carlos Alcaraz replaced centre-back Michael Keane.

The most exciting moment in the first 20 minutes came when Grealish and Bournemouth full-back Alex Jimenez, making a rare start, got into a verbal spat by the corner flag.

Everton midfielder Tim Iroegbunam’s wayward 20-yard shot skied over the crossbar summed up the lack of quality on display.

The first time either goalkeeper was called into action was when Jordan Pickford parried away Bournemouth captain Antoine Semenyo’s toe-poke from 12 yards after a superb Amine Adli pass.

The incident did spark a VAR check for a potential handball against Everton defender Jake O’Brien, but common sense prevailed and the decision was no penalty.

Everton almost took the lead three minutes before half-time when Alex Scott headed James Garner’s dangerous in-swinging corner off the top of his own crossbar.

Home goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic then had to take evasive action to punch Garner’s follow-up corner away from the goal line.

Bournemouth did have the ball in the net in first-half stoppage time when Eli Junior Kroupi tucked home at the near post but was clearly in an offside position when he latched on to Adli’s flick from Jimenez’s low cross.

Petrovic denied Everton what looked a certain opener early in the second half when he spread himself and somehow kept out Thierno Barry’s close-range effort after Alcaraz’s lovely through ball had parted the home defence.

Alcaraz then had a shot blocked by Veljko Milosavljevic after being teed up by Barry’s clever back-heel.

Bournemouth were unusually subdued as an attacking force, summed up by the below par Semenyo’s tame effort straight at Pickford.

In the 64th minute Everton failed to properly deal with a corner, but defender Milosavljevic could not keep his header down from Justin Kluivert’s floated cross.

The Toffees were the better team throughout and finally got the goal they deserved with 12 minutes remaining.

The lively Alcaraz played in Grealish down the left and the Manchester City loanee cut in and unleashed a right-footed shot that deflected into the bottom left corner off Bafode Diakite.

Iliman Ndiaye was close to making it 2-0 minutes later when his fierce strike from just outside the box was beaten away by Petrovic, but one goal was enough for the visitors.