The two sides were coming up against each other just four days after meeting in the EFL Cup, which saw Bournemouth ease to a 4-1 victory. Frank Lampard would have wanted a much better display from his Everton side, but for the third consecutive game, the Cherries took a two-nil lead.
First Marcus Tavernier (23) was in the right place at the right time around the quarter hour mark, as Jordan Pickford (28) spilled Dominic Solanke's (25) initial shot on goal, but Tavernier was on hand to slot in the opener.
The goalscorer then turned provider less than ten minutes later, when once again Pickford parried a shot and this time Tavernier headed the ball towards Kieffer Moore (30) who towered above Vitalii Mykolenko (23) to power home. The goal incensed the Everton players though who pointed out that James Tarkowski (29) was down with a head injury but the referee failed to call the game to a halt.
Mykolenko was also injured during the goal after competing against Moore in the air, and was forced off with injury, which caused tensions to rise within the Everton players. This was further compounded when an attack of their own was called back before half-time for a head injury to a Bournemouth player.
Bournemouth dominated the early periods of the second half and were causing the Everton backline problems every time they approached the box. Pickford wasn’t giving his defence any confidence and was having an afternoon to forget as he spilled another shot, from Solanke again but this time there was no player on hand to pounce on the England goalkeeper’s mistake. Everton struggled to create anything to threaten the hosts who looked the most likely to add a third rather than concede.
And the Cherries did just that in the 70th minute as Jaidon Anthony found himself unmarked to nod in Lewis Cook's (25) set piece, and the goal wrapped up all three points for Gary O’Neill’s side.
The win was vital for Bournemouth who moved three points above the relegation places going into the World Cup break, whilst Everton are now just one point above the drop zone, with the break probably coming at a good time to regather and sort their problems out.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Marcus Tavernier (AFC Bournemouth)
