Everton vs Bournemouth. Premier League.
Goodison ParkAttendance38,805.
Report and free match highlights as Everton stoop to new lows with an almighty late collapse to throw away a 2-0 lead; Luis Sinisterra scored a 96th-minute winner
Saturday 31 August 2024 23:49, UK
Everton threw away a 2-0 lead in extraordinary fashion as Bournemouth scored three times after the 87th minute to win 3-2 in a classic Premier League encounter.
Sean Dyche's men looked to be cantering towards a first victory of the season after second-half goals from Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin put them in a commanding position.
However, Antoine Semenyo started the comeback on 87 minutes as Everton completely lost their shape and looked like rabbits in the headlights. It was 2-2 when Lewis Cook headed home from close range two minutes into stoppage time.
It was Cook's first Premier League goal on his 137th appearance.
Worse was to come, and Jordan Pickford had to make saves from both Marcus Tavernier and Semenyo before Sinisterra found space to nod in Justin Kluivert's cross, with Everton's players slumping on to the Goodison turf in disbelief.
After conceding seven times in opening defeats to Brighton and Tottenham, Everton had looked much improved as they dominated the vast majority of the match but the lack of game-management to see the game was extraordinary.
The boos at Goodison Park were as loud as ever at the full-time whistle. The home fans won't have believed what they had seen.
This was the latest a team has ever been two goals ahead in a game they've gone on to lose in Premier League history.
A mind-boggling football match.
Sean Dyche speaking to Sky Sports:
"They had one shot on target before their goal and we just threw the game away. Just from not doing the hard yards and the basics, win tackles, win headers and see the game through. We don't do that and they chip it forward like they had done all day - which we dealt with all day - and our body language said it all.
"We haven't taken our chances today which has been a theme. The game should have been gone. When they got one I could smell it in the air - not to lose the game but I thought 'we're not on it here' - I was trying to get them to do the basics but when the players are out there it's not as easy.
"We played really well. But you've got to see the game in the Premier League. You have to play for every minute in the Premier League and then now and again these anomalies happen.
"There's been enough damage here in the time I've been here and we've got to find a way through it."
Michael Dawson speaking on Soccer Saturday:
"Everton were in absolute cruise control. Today they looked a different team - they were flying in the second half. I thought it was game over. The way they conceded the goals from three crosses just isn't Everton or Sean Dyche. You talk about game management, at 2-1 up Everton were still going for the third goal. They thought they were home and dry but they were anything but. It was mind-blowing.
"How do you pick the players up after that?"
