The third round of the new Premier League season continues on Saturday afternoon with multiple matches kicking off at 3:00 PM. One of the several fixtures that will be played simultaneously is the game between Everton and AFC Bournemouth.
It is one of the more low-profile games to watch but this early in the season, it will be interesting to see what they have worked on and how they have improved compared to last season.
This will be Everton’s second home game of the season and the aim for Shaun Dyche’s men will be to make Goodison Park a fortress for the season.
Last season, they were nothing more than an average best-home team with eight wins and seven losses at home.
The 28 points they amassed at home ranked at 15th in the League for points won at home. To avoid another relegation dogfight, they will need to be better at home.
Last season was one filled with turbulence off the pitch and these issues inevitably affected the team’s performance on the field. The PSR points deductions dragged a largely comfortable Everton team into a relegation battle and the team eventually managed to escape relegation.
The long-winded takeover attempt of 777 also played its part in hindering their season but before the start of the 2024/2025 campaign, it was revealed that they will not continue their attempts to buy the club anymore.
Sean Dyche believes Everton will even struggle more to stay afloat in the current campaign, saying recently: “The bar for next season is making sure we safeguard this club in the Premier League. It hasn’t changed. There will be more challenges coming. I’ve tried to be honest with you, telling the fans the truth.
“It will not be fixed overnight. It is going to be a building process and it takes time. I think there is growth, from when I got into where it is now. There has been development in the side and the players and the mentality for sure. But there is a long way to go to get it back to where Everton thinks they are.
“The perception is often bigger than the truth of the story, so I’m trying to find the gap between the two and bring it together so fans go ‘OK, we kind of get where we are at’. I’m trying to do that but there are more challenges to come, I don’t just mean financial, I mean balancing out the club, balancing out the playing side of things, balancing out the wage structure. There are more challenges to come.”
Everton have the squad and talent to keep themselves in the Premier League for another season but the question is whether they will be consistent enough, particularly on the offensive end, to get the results they need to stay in the Premier League this term.
40 goals in 38 games is not the best return but their defensive strength gave them the edge over those around them. For context, they conceded 51 goals last season and that number was far less than those around them on the table.
Everton had the third-best defensive record in the Premier League in terms of goals conceded. Only the League’s top three conceded fewer goals than Sean Dyche’s men.
On the flip side, all Bournemouth fans would ask for is more of the same from their team. Season one under Andoni Iraola was a fun one and the Cherries will hope that his second year with the club will lead to more fun performances and big moments/results.
“I think I have been lucky because I have found a group of players willing to achieve big things since my first day here,”
“In the end, the players have the level they are showing. It is indeed difficult to show it every single week and maintain it against opponents who, market-wise, probably have more value. But we are showing we have players who can play against the better teams.”
The Spaniard’s words last season showed how pleased he was with the way his team adapted to his aggressive style of play, although it didn’t start that way. They didn’t win their first League game last season until November and only managed three points from their first nine games.
Now they’re one of the most fun teams to watch and this game promises to be an intriguing contest.
Match Tickets
Everton vs Bournemouth tickets can be found online for fans looking to purchase. As usual, a sold-out crowd is expected at Goodison Park for their second home game of the new season. Everton fans would be up for the fixture and the iconic ground will be loud in support of their team.
The game will be played at Goodison Park on Saturday, 31st of August at 3:00 PM. Fans in and around the United Kingdom where Sky Sports’ coverage reaches will be able to enjoy the game at that time.
The Premier League is broadcast to 212 total provinces in the world, which means that fans outside the United Kingdom have to tune in to one of the league’s broadcast partners in their province for the game.
Team News
As at this moment, Everton has the full complement of their first-team squad to choose from and will be looking to line up with their best players on the team.
Bournemouth will also have the full complement of their first-team squad fit and ready to travel to Goodison Park. At the moment, they have no injuries to worry about but things could change.
Lineups
Sean Dyche’s side will play their preferred 4-4-2 formation as they search for a home victory. The highly rated Jarrad Branthwaite will partner up with James Tarkowski in the center of defence while Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the lineup front.
- Everton: Pickford, Godfrey, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Harrison, Doucoure, Garner, McNiel, Ndiaye, Calvert-Lewin.
Andoni Iraola’s side will be looking to mirror their opponent’s formation and play with a 4-4-2 as well. Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo will start on the flanks while Enes Unal and Dominik Solanke will be the front two up front.
- AFC Bournemouth: Neto; Smith, Senesi, Kelly, Kerkez, Semenyo, Scott, Cook, Kluivert, Unal, Solanke.
Prediction
This match will be a clash of styles between the two clubs and the away team may end up with most of the ball possession.
Bournemouth will try to force Everton out of their defensive line to create spaces while Everton will be patiently waiting for their chance on the counterattack.
- Everton 1-2 Bournemouth
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