Everton take on Bournemouth on Saturday in a game that already feels significant even at this early stage of the season, with the Toffees yet to earn a Premier League point or even score a Premier League goal.
Thankfully the sense of crisis was marginally lifted by a victory over Doncaster in the Carabao Cup in midweek. It wasn’t pretty at times but a strong second half performance, including a fine goal by Iliman Ndiaye, settled a few nerves.
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Ndiaye was making his first start for the club along with fellow summer signings Jesper Lindstrom and Jake O’Brien. With Seamus Coleman and James Garner also featuring after recovering from injury, there is a feeling that the early fog that dogged Everton’s opening two games of the season is starting to lift.
The looming early September international break feels like something of a reset moment to take stack and let things settle down. Everton have certainly benefited from the break in recent years following poor starts. But if they can get a victory, against Bournemouth or at least put in a decent performance, then they can close ou this opening month of the season in a more positive frame of mind.
The opposition
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
When Bournemouth slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Goodison in October Andoni Iraola found himself one of the favourites for the sack.
The Cherries had won none of his first eight league games in charge and were mired in the bottom three.
But a remarkable mid-season run yielding seven wins and one draw from nine matches lifted them safely into mid-table. Another run of four wins from five in the spring, including a 2-1 victory over Everton helped the south coast club finish in 12th place, fully justifying the decision to bring in Iraola the previous summer.
They reacted quickly to the £60m departure of Dominic Solanke by smashing their club record to sign Brazil striker Evanilson from Porto for £40m, while the arrivals of Turkey forward Enes Unal, Spain U21 defender Dean Huijsen, Mexico full-back Julian Araujo and, most recently, Spain goalkeeper Kepa on loan from Chelsea. completes a productive summer.
They head north looking to improve on their recent record against Everton at Goodison, with the Toffees win six of the last seven meetings.
Previous meeting
Bournemouth 2-1 Everton 30 March 2024
Beto’s late header cancelled out Dominic Solanke’s header and looked to be earning Everton a point, before a calamitous own goal from Seamus Coleman made it 12 games without a win.
Team news
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Seamus Coleman and James Garner came through the Doncaster game unscathed so are available for selection. James Tarkowski was rested in midweek but is fit enough to return.
Jarrad Branthwaite, Youssef Chermiti and Nathan Patterson are still a while away from a return.
What they said
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Everton boss Sean Dyche: “There were good signs the other night, albeit with respect to Doncaster, we should take care of business in that game on paper. But it’s not that easy, they pushed us really close last season at their place, but I thought we gave a really strong second half and I reminded the players of the freedom that comes when you are playing like that.
“The fans go with you, but we have to be the starting point. The fans have been there forever and they will be, so we have to start that process, when they get behind the team and can smell a good performance.
“[On Tuesday] in the second half we did that. With respect to Doncaster, now we have to do it against a Premier League outfit.”
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola: “We have the experience from past season, I don’t know if it was the worst, probably one of the worst games we played for sure.
“They were better than us, and they deserved to beat us. I hope we also can learn from that experience.
“I think we are a more solid team now, but even doing good things is not enough to get a result there.
“I think even the game against Brighton that, at the end, they lose 3-0.
“You see the first 50, 60 minutes of that game and they were putting a lot of pressure against Brighton and probably they deserved other things in that game.
“And I know that the game is going to be difficult. I know it.
“We have to be ready to defend very well, to not concede anything because they have good threats.”
Final word
The final game before the international break will, rightly or wrongly, dictate the mood around Goodison for the next few weeks. Lose and the storm clouds with return and the media will feast on negativity. Win (or even draw) and Evertonians will suddenly start feeling a bit more optimistic about the coming few months.
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