Grealish’s Lucky Strike Lifts Everton Past Bournemouth
So let me walk you through what unfolded in this tense Premier League meeting between Bournemouth and Everton, a match that wasn’t always thrilling but definitely had its moment of drama. It was played at the Vitality Stadium on a chilly Tuesday night, and for a long stretch it looked like both teams were stuck in one of those mid-table stalemates where plenty of running is seen but not much real quality. But then the game turned on a single, fortunate strike.
The decisive moment came in the 78th minute, when Jack Grealish’s shot took a heavy deflection off Bafodé Diakité. The ball spun away from its original path and buried itself in the opposite corner, leaving Djordje Petrovic with absolutely no chance. It wasn’t a beautifully crafted goal; it wasn’t part of a sweeping move. It was simply a case of effort meeting luck, and Everton were more than happy to take it.
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For Grealish, who has been battling through a patchy spell of form, the goal felt like a release. He celebrated right in front of the travelling Everton fans, who have embraced him far quicker than many expected. And the admiration seems mutual. He even joked afterward about how much he adored working with David Moyes. Moyes, in turn, praised the winger’s work ethic, pointing out that Grealish is not the type to drift out of games or ask to be subbed early.
For Bournemouth, though, the night continued a worrying slide. They came into December without a single win in November and still had the sting of throwing away a two-goal lead against Sunderland lingering in the background. The inconsistency that cost them European football last season appears to be creeping back in, and manager Andoni Iraola looked frustrated. He spoke afterward about trust, belief, and the need to push through these rough stretches, but you could sense the concern.
Everton were not at full strength either. Idrissa Gueye was suspended, Michael Keane was unavailable, and the squad looked stretched thin. James Garner had to fill in as an emergency right-back, and surprisingly, he handled Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo well all night. The match itself was never particularly smooth. The first half was sluggish, the crowd unusually quiet, and both managers could be heard barking instructions nonstop just to inject some energy into the game.
Eventually, things opened up a bit in the second half, and Moyes later said it came down to whichever team managed to take advantage of the space. Thanks to Grealish’s deflected effort—and a bit of fortune—Everton did exactly that. The win lifted them above Bournemouth in the increasingly congested mid-table pack, giving them three victories in four matches and plenty to build on as the festive fixtures loom.
In the end, it wasn’t a classic, but it was the kind of gritty, opportunistic victory that can shape a season. Everton will gladly take it. Bournemouth will be left wondering how the early spark of their season faded so quickly.
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