JACK GREALISH, ladies and gents! He's the name on everyone's lips after a stunning late goal that broke Everton's Bournemouth curse.
The England star unleashed a 78th-minute rocket that took a lucky deflection off Bournemouth's Bafode Diakite, leaving keeper Djordje Petrovic grasping at air.
Cue wild celebrations from Toffees boss David Moyes, who looked like he’d seen a ghost after Saturday's 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Newcastle. Talk about a turnaround!
Grealish, never one to shy away from a bit of passion, sealed his hero status by planting a kiss on the Everton badge, silencing the home crowd and ending his team's five-game losing streak against the Cherries.
Bournemouth's gaffer, Andoni Iraola, rolled the dice with the youngest Prem lineup *ever* – an average age of 23 years and 254 days. But experience trumped youth in this clash.
Iraola made some bold calls, benching Brazilian hotshot Evanilson after their 3-2 defeat to Sunderland. Ouch!
In came teenage sensation Junior Kroupi, hoping to add to his impressive four goals in his debut Prem season. No pressure, kid!
Defender Adam Smith and midfielder Marcus Tavernier also found themselves on the sidelines, while Marcos Senesi was suspended after racking up five yellow cards. Rough day at the office.
And the biggest shocker? Iraola handed the captain's armband to £65 million winger Antoine Semenyo. A statement, perhaps?
Moyes, however, was forced into one unwanted change, with Carlos Alcaraz filling in for the injured Michael Keane.
Everton drew first blood early on, with Vitaliy Mykolenko's long throws causing chaos in the Bournemouth box.
The Cherries' defense looked shaky, but they managed to block Jake O’Brien’s shot. A let-off for the home side.
Let's be honest, the Vitality Stadium hasn't exactly been a happy hunting ground for Everton, who hadn't managed a win in their previous eight visits. Was this the start of a new dawn?
The Vitality Stadium has turned into a graveyard for Toffee managers. Remember when Sean Dyche was axed after a dismal 1-0 loss in January? And let's not forget Frank Lampard, who was left clinging to his job after two defeats against the Cherries back in 2022.
Lady Luck seemed to favor the visitors when Amine Adli's free-kick deflected off O'Brien's arm, setting up Semenyo for a volley that forced a brilliant save from Jordan Pickford.
Referee Michael Salisbury waved away any penalty claims. Right call?
Bournemouth had to weather a storm of James Garner corners just before halftime, with Alex Scott nearly heading one into his own net. Close call!
But Garner wasn't just delivering pinpoint crosses. Moments later, he sent one soaring over the stand and clean out of the stadium. Oops!
Kroupi briefly sent the home fans into a frenzy with a goal right before the break, but VAR swiftly crushed their dreams, ruling it offside. VAR strikes again!
Everton looked comfortable against a subdued Bournemouth side, who seemed to be missing that spark upfront with Evanilson on the bench.
Adding to Bournemouth's woes, Tyler Adams picked up his fifth booking, earning himself a one-match suspension. More bad news for Iraola.
Everton's own struggles in front of goal were evident when Thierno Barry, with only the keeper to beat, chipped his shot wide. Oh dear!
The hosts weren't much better, with Veljko Milosavljevic making a mess of his header from Kluivert's cross. A day to forget for the Bournemouth attack.
After Grealish's moment of magic, Everton almost grabbed a second, but Petrovic denied Iliman Ndiaye with a fine save. Too little, too late for the Toffees.
Bournemouth are now five games without a win and face a tough test against Chelsea on Saturday. Can they turn their fortunes around?
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