Brooks magic sinks shot-shy Everton as Bournemouth leave it late again

Bournemouth moved just three points off the Champions League places after David Brooks’ 77th-minute volley inflicted a 1-0 defeat on Everton at the Vitality Stadium.

Andoni Iraola’s side had been struggling to break down their stubborn but limited opponents when substitute Brooks arrowed a sublime volley back across Jordan Pickford’s goal from Milos Kerkez’s pinpoint cross to settle a scrappy contest on the south coast.

With just seven goals conceded at home this season, it always felt thereafter that it would be enough for the upwardly-mobile hosts, who have now gone a club-record eight Premier League games unbeaten.

Abdoulaye Doucoure thought he had salvaged a point for the visitors when he crashed Beto’s knockdown just wide of Mark Travers’ post but it is now just one win in 11 league games for Sean Dyche’s side.

The result moves Bournemouth move onto 33 points – three points off the top four, while Everton stay just two points above the relegation zone in 16th position.

Dyche said: “It was a really tight game. First half we were not at the races and I made some changes. I thought we had a stronger performance second half, and asked some questions.

“Taking our chances has been a challenge since I’ve been at the club, it still is and was today in those key areas where people are trying to pass it rather than shoot.

“You look at the goalscoring records before I was here, it’s been an ongoing challenge.

Brooks keeps Cherries’ European dreams on track

Everton failed to register a shot on target all afternoon. They have now failed to score in 11 of their 19 games, more often than any other team in the Premier League this term. It is no goal in eight of their last 10 league matches and nine shots on target in their last five.

With just three league wins, their attacking impotence was typified in the first half by Armando Broja striking the ground with a rare opening which led to the Albanian being forced off prematurely.

Jesper Lindstrom experienced similar misfortune when his effort was blocked by Broja’s replacement Dominic Calvert-Lewin as Everton’s wait for another goal in open play continued.

Bournemouth certainly had the better chances of the opening period with Jordan Pickford denying Justin Kluivert from his lofted attempt which landed back at the feet of Antoine Semenyo only for England’s No 1 to be smartly out at his feet.

Dyche was forced into more changes at the break with the 17-year-old Harrison Armstrong and Nathan Patterson introduced as part of a reshuffle but the game’s pattern remained the same with Pickford getting down to his left to keep out another Semenyo shot.

Iraola, as so often this campaign, didn’t panic as Brooks was summoned as part of a triple alteration – and with 13 minutes remaining it was his controlled volley from Kerkez’s cross which secured the Cherries their ninth win of the season.

Iraola said: “We had to be patient, even if we had been in control of the game and pushing them a lot. We’ve had chances but they have very good centre-backs and goalkeeper, and we couldn’t make the difference until close to the end. Probably we should have scored earlier but fortunately this time it hasn’t cost us points.

“We wanted to open the game as much as possible but this is tough against Everton. Once they started running out of legs they can even attack you so we can exploit more spaces. That didn’t happen until the end and we needed a very good finish with a lovely goal from David Brooks. He has top quality with the striking and composure so I am happy for him.

Kerkez cuts through Everton to deliver Dyche blow

Sky Sports’ Ben Grounds:

When they’re not keeping clean sheets, Everton aren’t winning football matches. That has been the way under Dyche throughout almost the entirety of his reign. A 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, their first of the campaign, was a rare example of his side being able to do things the hard way.

From the moment Brooks cushioned his volley into the far corner of Pickford’s net, the writing was on the wall. Another trip to the Vitality Stadium, another pointless excursion. Everton’s inability to win here in the league predates Dyche, but the failings on show were in keeping with the current incumbent’s faltering reign.

Dyche could make a case for a job well done in his first full season in charge given the off-field distractions. The noise. But now with a better squad, and with new owners above him, he is feeling the January chill.

Dyche’s side look increasingly like being drawn into a relegation fight as they failed to produce a shot on target in 90 minutes. It is now one goal scored in their last five matches.

Their inability to trouble their hosts was made to look almost comical by the ease with which Bournemouth cut through them again and again, and another assured display made it five wins in eight for Iraola’s side.

The winning goal encapsulated everything Everton were not. Kerkez sent a finely-calibrated cross into the box where it arrived at the perfect height for Brooks to skip into the air and, with the kind of confidence that his team’s brilliant season so far imbues, volleyed beyond Pickford into the far corner.

It is easy to see why Jamie Carragher is so keen for the Hungarian to join Liverpool. The 21-year-old excelled once again at left-back and should he continue to trust in his ability, he will have the pick of Europe’s elite clubs. Something which cannot be said for the eight members of Everton’s squad who are currently out of contract in the summer.

Opta stats – Bournemouth turn to bench again

• Bournemouth have scored more goals via substitutes than any other side in the Premier League this season, with their 10 goals from the bench also their most in a single top-flight campaign.
• Everton have failed to score in a league-high 11 different Premier League games this season. It’s just one game fewer than they failed to score in compared to the whole of last season (12).
• Everton failed to register a single shot on target for the second time in a Premier League match this season, also doing so in their 0-0 draw at Arsenal last month.
• Only three sides (Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City) have had more shots on target in the Premier League than Bournemouth this season (114). The Cherries’ average of 5.7 shots on target per game is their highest in a single campaign in the competition.

Story of the match in stats…

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