Bournemouth up to ninth after comeback win at Everton

Rayan and Amine Adli scored in the space of three second-half minutes as AFC Bournemouth secured a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Everton.

Brazilian teenager Rayan had conceded a first-half penalty from which Iliman Ndiaye put the Toffees into a first-half lead at a rainswept Hill Dickinson Stadium.

But Thierno Barry was made to rue missing a couple of great opportunities when Rayan headed home a 61st-minute equaliser.

Adli then nodded in at the end of a well-worked set-piece for Bournemouth, and Everton's evening worsened when Jake O'Brien was sent off for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity against the visitors' matchwinner.

Victory for Bournemouth lifts Andoni Iraola's men to ninth in the Premier League table, while Everton remain eighth, only above the Cherries on goal difference. 

How the match unfolded

Everton had a goal disallowed for offside in the early stages before Barry let Djordje Petrovic off the hook when he wastefully skewed wide on the rebound after James Garner's long-range free-kick was spilled.

Bournemouth’s goalkeeper made amends, though, when he parried Ndiaye’s close-range effort on to a post.

However, Everton hit the front in the 42nd minute when Ndiaye coolly rolled into the bottom-left corner from 12 yards after Rayan clumsily hacked down Jarrad Branthwaite.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was thwarted by James Hill before Alex Jimenez made a fantastic block to deny Barry, who really ought to have scored from Ndiaye's tee-up, and after Adrien Truffert thumped wide, Bournemouth made Everton pay.

Truffert's wonderful deep cross was headed home emphatically by Rayan, and the visitors went in front when Adli nodded in after Hill headed Alex Scott's free-kick into his path.

O'Brien saw red when taking down Adli when he had a clear run at goal, and though Everton pushed for a leveller – including Branthwaite going close with a header – the hosts came up short.

Barry misses prove costly as Toffees implode

David Moyes will be scratching his head at just what went wrong for his side, who were looking in cruise control prior to their second-half implosion.

The Scot, whose side have won more league games away than at home this season (six to four), had spoken about how opposition teams tend to raise their game at the Toffees' shiny new stadium.

But, in truth, there was little sign that was the case here, especially in a drab first half in which Everton could and perhaps should have been in a more favourable position.

Barry was culpable for missing a gilt-edged opportunity prior to Ndiaye's penalty and, while Jimenez should be commended for his defending, the Frenchman took too long to get his 54th-minute shot away. A goal at that stage would have left Bournemouth with a huge mountain to climb.

Having said that, you really cannot account for the mayhem that followed. Vitalii Mykolenko was caught out when Rayan leapt high to equalise, and the disjointed defending from which Adli was the beneficiary was very uncharacteristic of a Moyes side.

When O'Brien saw red after being caught cold by Adli, it just summed up the frustration of a home fanbase who will feel they have seen this kind of underwhelming performance a little too often.

Everton missed the opportunity to go sixth in the table, and Moyes' men now have a near two-week break before hosting Manchester United on 23 February.

Rayan sparks brilliant Bournemouth comeback

Even the most optimistic of Bournemouth supporters will have struggled to see this turnaround coming, especially those who had made the 260-mile trip to witness a lacklustre first-half showing in the Merseyside rain.

The Cherries mustered only two shots on target in a poor opening 45 minutes.

But Rayan made amends for his earlier hack on Branthwaite, continuing a fine start at his new club that has seen him become just the third teenager in Premier League history to have a goal or assist in each of his first three appearances, after Robbie Keane and Anthony Martial.

It felt almost inevitable the Cherries would go on to turn the game around given the opportunities Everton had passed up, though few would have seen Adli's winner coming so soon after Rayan's second goal in as many games after he netted versus Aston Villa last time out.

Everton were unhappy it was allowed to stand, with Enes Unal having been in an offside position and making an attempt to play the ball before Hill headed it on to Adli.

Iraola will be delighted with the pluck his team showed, though, and it is now six league games unbeaten.

They will look to continue their fine form when they host West Ham United at Vitality Stadium on 21 February.

Club reports

Everton report | Bournemouth report

What the managers said

David Moyes: "The players are doing a great job here, we just didn't quite have enough tonight. 

"We started the second half and missed a couple of half chances to get the second goal, so I only have myself to blame, nobody else."

Andoni Iraola: “To be honest, I don't think it has been our best performance, but football is like this. I think we played much better against Villa the other day and you don't win the game, just one point.

“Today, probably the draw would have been, I think, like a more fair result, but we find a way.”

Next PL fixtures

Key facts

Everton have been shown 113 red cards in the Premier League, the most of any side in the competition's history (Arsenal are next, with 110).

Ndiaye has the joint-best 100 per cent conversion rate from the penalty spot for Everton in the Premier League, alongside Peter Beardsley and Richarlison (all four from four). All five of his five Premier League goals this season have either put Everton in the lead (four) or drawn them level (one).

Only Aston Villa (18) and Sunderland (16) have rescued more points from losing positions in the Premier League this season than Bournemouth (14), who came from behind at half time to win for the first time since May last year (2-1 v Arsenal).

Everton lost a Premier League match having led at half time for the first time since September 2024 (3-2 v Aston Villa), ending their run of avoiding defeat in 19 consecutive games when leading at the break (W13 D6).