Bournemouth produce stunning late turnaround as Everton collapse at home

Posted Sunday, September 01, 2024 by PA

Luis Sinisterra scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time as Bournemouth left it late to come from 2-0 down and stun Everton 3-2 to put more pressure on Sean Dyche.

The hosts looked to be cruising after second-half goals from Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin rewarded some fine attacking play, but it all unravelled at the death.

Antoine Semenyo’s 87th minute tap-in was only Bournemouth’s second shot on target but moments later Lewis Cook headed them level in the second minute of added time.

Bournemouth produce stunning late turnaround as Everton collapse at home — Everton were coasting at 2-0 up (Peter Byrne/PA)

Worse was to come, and Jordan Pickford had to make saves from both Marcus Tavernier and Semenyo before Sinisterra found space to nod in Justin Kluivert’s cross, with Everton’s players slumping on to the Goodison turf in disbelief.

After conceding seven times in opening defeats to Brighton and Tottenham, Everton had looked much improved as they dominated the vast majority of the match, but the way they threw it away at the end begs huge questions as they hope to avoid yet another scrap at the foot of the table.

A pre-match tribute to former Everton striker Kevin Campbell, who died in June at the age of 54, had stirred the emotions inside Goodison Park and the Toffees were roared on as they made an encouraging start.

Eight minutes in Iliman Ndiaye, handed his first Premier League start four days after opening his Everton account in the 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Doncaster, linked up with Tim Iroegbunam to play in Jack Harrison, but his ball flashed across the face of goal, eluding the run of Calvert-Lewin.

What. A. Game!!! 😱#EVEBOU #TheKickOff pic.twitter.com/qQ5muWvuXh
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 31, 2024

Everton’s number nine then headed into the side-netting from Dwight McNeil’s corner before Idrissa Gana Gueye shot over.

Jack Harrison then dragged a shot wide before Ndiaye shot straight at Bournemouth’s debutant goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, in on loan from Chelsea.

Everton stayed on top at the start of the second half and their reward came five minutes after the restart from an unlikely source.

After Bournemouth failed to deal with a corner, Harrison sent in a cross from the right and Calvert-Lewin chested it down for Keane to drill home, the defender’s first goal since he scored against former club Burnley last December.

Seamus Coleman then tried to join his defensive colleague on the scoresheet, cutting in from the right and hitting a rising shot from close range which Kepa had to push over.

The Toffees did not have to wait long for a second, which came in the 57th minute when McNeil’s precision pass sent Calvert-Lewin through on goal and he lifted the ball over Kepa to score his first of the season.

Everton were rampant and should have pressed home the advantage. McNeil and Calvert-Lewin almost combined again but could not quite get aligned before Milos Kerkez nicked the ball away, and then Kepa did well to keep out Ndiaye’s powerful shot.

Ndiaye was a livewire, and burst forward again in the 69th minute, cutting inside Illia Zabarnyi but then sending his shot just wide.

Moments later the Senegal forward battled to find space on the left before sending in a cross which was nicked away from Calvert-Lewin.

But things would change and rapidly as Bournemouth finally began to push forward.

After Sinisterra shot wide from the edge of the box Dango Ouattara’s cross left Semenyo with a tap-in to get them back into it.

Everton just melted away, and early in stoppage time Cook rose to head in Sinisterra’s cross before the Colombian applied the killer blow himself, left in space to head in Kluivert’s cross.