Everton scored more than once at home for the first time in almost a year as Goodison Park finally celebrated a victory after a 3-0 win over a woeful Bournemouth.
October 22, 2022 was the last time Goodison witnessed a game with multiple goals for the hosts when Crystal Palace were dispatched by the same scoreline.
On-loan Leeds winger Jack Harrison, who departed to a standing ovation late on, marked his full home debut with a brilliant lob over goalkeeper Neto to double the advantage given to them by James Garner’s early strike.
Abdoulaye Doucoure, whose goal against the Cherries in May secured the club’s top-flight survival here on the final day of the season, made the game safe on the hour with an altogether more simple close-range finish.
After four successive home defeats, Everton avoided a record worst start to a season at Goodison but were fortunate to come up against Bournemouth.
The visitors extended their own club-record winless run to 12 matches (nine defeats and three draws) and have now equalled their worst start to a season since 1994 in the third tier. The reasons for that were apparent.
Everton have hosted – and lost to – some poor sides in Wolves, Fulham and Luton already this season but none were as accommodating as the Cherries, who aside from an energetic spell 10 minutes after going behind appeared to still be trying to work out what new coach Andoni Iraola wants them to do.
Sean Dyche’s side did not even have to play that well to establish a two-goal cushion but once they did the confidence started to gradually flow back, encouraged by the lack of threat their opponents posed.
Dyche had dropped midfielder Amadou Onana to move Garner inside so he could go with two wingers in Harrison and Dwight McNeil but the Belgium international received a late reprieve when Idrissa Gana Gueye sustained a problem in the warm-up.
The key factor in the victory was probably the early goal, something they had failed to manage in four previous matches.
Illia Zabarnyi slipped bringing the ball out of defence, Philip Billing was unable to recover possession and Garner advanced forward to guide a low shot past Neto’s left hand for his second goal in three games.
The goal prompted Everton’s worst spell of the game and Bournemouth’s best as Dominic Solanke drilled a shot into the side-netting from an acute angle as the momentum appeared to shift.
But Everton seized it back when Dominic Calvert-Lewin latched onto Ashley Young’s pass down the line and set off on a run along the byline to force Neto to block his cross-shot.
A minute later they had doubled their lead when Neto punched clear Vitalii Mykolenko’s hanging cross only as far as Harrison, who perfectly lofted a 20-yard shot over the backtracking goalkeeper and in off the underside of the crossbar.
Calvert-Lewin hit the same crossbar with a header and Onana fired a shot on the turn as Everton finished the half strongly before another mistake by Zabarnyi soon after the interval should have sealed Bournemouth’s fate.
The centre-back’s wayward pass presented the ball to Doucoure but, unlike his blast from the edge of the penalty area in May, he shot weakly at Neto.
He did not make the same mistake from close range when Harrison’s far-post header from McNeil’s cross was parried into his path by the goalkeeper and straight from kick-off he should have volleyed home the fourth from another McNeil cross.
Everton’s former Burnley winger was having a decent game himself and, after hacking Zabarnyi’s header off the line defending a corner, he managed to get on the end of the subsequent counter-attack to shoot at Neto.
The under-employed Jordan Pickford’s late saves from Kieffer Moore and Marcus Tavernier at least kept him tuned up for the forthcoming England internationals.
Man Utd decision was 'now or never' for Amorim
Ruben Amorim says the decision to move to Manchester United during the season was made for him, after he was told it was "now or never".
The 39-year-old Sporting Lisbon coach is set to make the move to Manchester on November 11, despite wanting to wait until the end of the season to make the switch.
The move was announced on Friday, with Amorim agreeing on a contract that will keep him at the club until 2027.
He becomes the sixth permanent manager at United since Alex Ferguson's departure 11 years ago.
Sporting have made a flying start to the season with 10 wins from 10 putting them top of the Primeira Liga table, but Amorim was keen to attest he would have preferred to continue his victorious streak.
"The season started, we started very well, and then Manchester United came, they pay above the compensation clause and the president defends the club's interests," he explained.
"I never discussed anything with the president. For three days, I said I wanted to stay until the end of the season, but then I was told it was not possible.
"It was now or never, or Manchester would go for another option. So, I had three days to make my mind up, to make a decision that radically changes my life."
Amorim brought substantial success to the Portuguese capital, winning two league titles in the space of four seasons after the club had failed to do so in the 19 years prior.
Despite being one of the most promising coaches in the game, the Lisbon-born manager asserted that only a call from Manchester would persuade him to leave his home club.
"I've had other opportunities - the president and [director of football] Hugo Viana can confirm this," he added. "It's not the first or the second time that I have been requested by another team, and I don't want another team.
"After Sporting I wanted that one, Manchester, and I want that context because that context allows me to do things my way, and the club believes me that way.
"There's a time when I have to take a step forward in my career. That's what happened. It was harder for me than any Sporting fan, believe me, but I had to do this."
Newcastle United 1-0 Arsenal: Isak header dents Gunners' title bid
Alexander Isak headed Newcastle United to their first Premier League win in five games as they beat Arsenal 1-0 to dent the Gunners’ title hopes.
The decisive moment came in the 12th minute when Isak combined with Anthony Gordon, heading the ball into the roof of the net to continue his fine form at St. James’ Park.
Arsenal rarely threatened throughout, registering just one shot on target, which came in the first half when Mikel Merino saw his effort blocked on the line by Lewis Hall.
Isak threatened a second for the hosts on the hour mark, but his attempt stung the palms of David Raya, while Declan Rice’s deflected strike narrowly evaded the far post just under a minute later.
The win moved Newcastle into eighth place in the table, while Arsenal remain third but could find themselves eight points off the top should Manchester City beat Bournemouth later on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Alexander the Great
Having marked his return from a toe injury with two goals in as many games, Isak's return to form for Newcastle is a welcome boost for Eddie Howe.
The Swede has now scored in three successive appearances in all competitions for Newcastle for the first time since January last season, and has been directly involved in 18 goals in his last 17 Premier League starts at St. James’ Park (16 goals, two assists).
Isak's header also saw the Magpies claim a third win in their last four Premier League home games against Arsenal (L1), as many as their previous 23 beforehand (W3 D8 L12).
For Arsenal, meanwhile, their poor run continued. After losing just one of their first 25 Premier League games in 2024 (W21 D3), they have since lost two of their last three (D1).
The Gunners have also now lost successive away matches in the league for the first time since May 2022.
T&T's captain David, striker Garcia welcome Yorke's appointment as Soca Warriors Head coach
Trinidad and Tobago’s captain Aubrey David and Greece-based striker Levi Garcia welcomed the appointment of former player Dwight Yorke as the new senior Soca Warriors Head coach.
Both David and Garcia believe Yorke’s appointment augurs well for the future of the Soca Warriors setup, as both pointed to his experience and knowledge of the game as key components to nurture young talent and, by extension, drive development.
“I’m excited about Dwight Yorke’s appointment. His experience and knowledge of the game would be a massive plus for us. He has played at the highest level and led our country to our first World Cup, so he surely knows what it takes to get us there again,” Guatemala-based defender David stated.
“I am very hopeful that his leadership will inspire a new era of success and development in Trinidad and Tobago football,” he added.
Garcia echoed similar sentiments, while pointing to the fact that the former Manchester United star also have huge task of qualifying the Twin Island Republic to the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
“I wish him all the best. I think he can get the job done. I really and truly believe that with the experience that he has had, and all that he has done, hopefully it could work out with his coaching career, and we could come together as one and give the country that boost,” Garcia stated.
“Hopefully, he will be able to bring out the best not only in the team but in some of the youngsters to secure their future,” he noted.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
