Grealish’s attack makes the difference for the Blues

Everton took an important victory against Bournemouth on the road, with Jack Grealish’s goal making the difference between the two teams.

Grealish provided a shot from the edge of the box that took a big deflection off Bafode Diakite before beating Djordje Petrovic in his far corner 12 minutes from time. It was his second goal for the club having previously scored the winner against Crystal Palace at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton became the first team to beat Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League this season. A 1-0 win here puts the Blues temporarily in the top half of the standings ahead of tomorrow’s league round.

David Moyes will be pleased with his team’s effort after their disappointing 4-1 defeat at home to Newcastle United in the previous round. He had to start Jake O’Brien at centre-back to replace Michael Keane, who was unable to play due to injury. James Garner took O’Brien’s place at right-back instead.

Here are the player ratings from Everton’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth:

Jordan Pickford: 7

Jordan Pickford bounced back from his howl against Newcastle United and looked more like his usual self in Dorset. He provided an impressive presence in the penalty area and made a good save from Antoine Semenyo.

James Garner: 8

Garner has hardly put a foot wrong this season and once again showed his excellent standards at right-back. He was a constant threat when he went forward and whipped in crosses from the flank. Garner was also unlucky enough to hit the woodwork and was equally tremendous in defence, winning tackles and regaining possession.

Jake O’Brien: 7

O’Brien was brought into the role of centre-half after Keane could not make the starting XI and produced a composed performance. He was dominant in the air and had a 100% success rate in duels tonight.

James Tarkowski: 7.5

With Keane missing, it was up to Tarkowski to lead the backline. He was alert and ready to eliminate opportunities and deploy a no-nonsense shift. Everton’s vice-captain made seven exits and won four matches against Bournemouth.

Vitalii Mykolenko: 6

Mykolenko was the least involved player in the match for his team. He looked confused a few times and ended up in the referee’s book for a cynical foul.

Iroegbunam team: 7

It was a tough start to the match for Iroegbunam after seeing a yellow card for a late challenge on Semenyo. It was his fifth booking of the season and he will miss the game against Nottingham Forest, adding to Everton’s midfield woes.

However, Iroegbunam redeemed himself with a strong performance as an anchor in midfield. He made the most tackles and won the most duels in the match. He also came back well and showed a lot of effort.

Kiernan Dewsbury Hall: 7

Dewsbury-Hall played a deeper role as an 8, with Alcaraz taking on the summer signing’s usual role as a number 10. He was extremely involved in the game and always tried to make things happen. His passing and movement were smart, but some of his actions lacked the end product.

Charly Alcaraz: 7 (replaced by Dwight McNeil at 80′)

Alcaraz has struggled for game time this season but has looked lively in the number 10 role. Although some of his ambitious passes didn’t quite reach their full potential, he was a creative spark and did well to set up Grealish’s winner before coming off the track.

Education: 6.5

It was a frustrating evening for the Senegalese magician, who gave a quiet performance by his standards. Although he was a willing and hard-working runner for his side, he did not have a major impact in the final third and also lost possession more often than usual.

Thierno Barry: 6 (replaced by Beto at 80′)

Thierno Barry did well to impose himself physically and looked sharp in aerial duels and matches. However, his efficiency in front of goal is largely sub-par as many of the big chances and half-chances don’t work for him alone.

Jack Grealish: 8

Grealish was a constant thorn in Bournemouth’s side, operating from the left. Andoni Iraola’s side tried to keep him at bay with physicality and constant mistakes, but Grealish had the last laugh with a long-range shot that took a big deflection before curling into the net.

Another fantastic performance from the loan signing and the moment he kissed the Everton badge in celebration is sure to make fans smile.

Replacements

Beto: N/A

Dwight McNeil: N/A

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