Jack Grealish netted his second Premier League goal for Everton to seal a gritty 1-0 victory over Bournemouth on Tuesday, bringing an end to the Cherries’ unbeaten home run this season.
The win, Everton’s third in four league outings and their first-ever league triumph at the Vitality Stadium, lifts David Moyes’ men to ninth place with 21 points from 14 matches. Bournemouth remain 14th on 19 points.
Both sides showed flashes of quality but struggled to create clear chances in the final third until the 78th minute, when Carlos Alcaraz pounced on a loose ball in midfield and released Grealish.
The midfielder surged forward and unleashed a strike from the edge of the box, which took a heavy deflection off Bafode Diakite before rolling into the bottom corner.
Since Moyes returned for his second spell in January, only Arsenal have collected more away points, and Everton once again showed their resolve on the road.
Bournemouth, however, have now claimed just one point from their last five games. Their lack of sharpness in attack was evident, offering manager Andoni Iraola little comfort despite a battling performance.
Everton came closest in the first half when James Garner’s corner forced Alex Scott to divert the ball onto his own crossbar. Moments later, another Everton corner struck the post.
Thierno Barry, still chasing his first goal for the club, squandered a big opportunity early in the second half, denied superbly by goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
Bournemouth’s best moment fell to Antoine Semenyo, but his low shot was comfortably gathered by Jordan Pickford.
Next up, Everton host former boss Sean Dyche and Nottingham Forest at the Hill Dickenson Stadium on Saturday, while Bournemouth prepare for the visit of Chelsea.
