Individual errors cost Everton as they went down 2-0 to Bournemouth in their final cup match at Goodison Park. James Tarkowski was at fault for both Antoine Semenyo and Dan Jebbison’s first-half goals. The Toffees were a much-improved side in the second 45 and even hit the woodwork thrice. In the end, it proved to be too little too late for David Moyes’s side as Everton’s FA Cup journey came to an end in the fourth round for the second consecutive season.
The match began on a promising note for the Toffees as fan-favourite Iliman Ndiaye created the first chance of the game with some wonderful footwork to get past his full-back on the left flank but the angle proved too acute to test Bournemouth keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Idrissa Gana Gueye, Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Garner went toe-to-toe with Bournemouth in the battle for midfield in the first 20 minutes. The hosts made a lot of third-man combinations and secured neat exchanges in the opposition half.
Everton failed to capitalise on that positive momentum and instead, ended up conceding a goal against the run of play. There was a hint of offside on Milos Kerkez’s line-breaking pass to Antoine Semenyo but James Tarkowski didn’t cover himself in glory as he brought down the Ghanaian international inside the box.
With no VAR available to determine an offside, Everton conceded in the 23rd minute despite Jordan Pickford guessing the right direction for Semenyo’s powerful strike from 12 yards.
The Toffees struggled to find their footing after going down as James Tavernier, Ryan Christie and Tyler Adams dominated the midfield for the Cherries. Miscommunication and lackadaisical body language also plagued the hosts who made several unforced errors on the ball.
Tarkowski made another howler just before half-time as his sloppy ball out from the back led to Dan Jebbison scoring only his second goal for Bournemouth.
David Moyes’s half-time team talk must’ve been convincing given how the boys bounced back in the second half. Ndiaye had a glorious opportunity to draw one back but he failed to make contact with the ball after Doucoure’s cutback surprisingly made its way into the box.
Moyes made two changes in the 65th minute and the addition of Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Harrison provided plenty of impetus. New loan signing Alcaraz showed flashes of brilliance as he won a free-kick with a strong run close to the box and then hit the post from the ensuing dead-ball situation.
There were more ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the home fans as Semenyo had to head a ball off the goal-line from a corner while Jake O’Brien hit the left post following a delicious delivery into the box from Harrison.
With Kerkez continually pushing forward on the right flank, Harrison found himself with space to run into. He launched another great ball into the box at the 80th minute which missed everyone and went on to hit the woodwork again! Third-time lucky? Not quite.
Pickford was called into action again late in the second half with Semenyo testing him after a rapid counter-attack while Justin Kluivert had the opportunity to score the third in the dying minutes of added time but ended up floating his shot over the crossbar.
The referee’s whistle after five minutes of added time brought another fourth-round exit in the FA Cup. While it was a bitter pill to swallow following the highs in the league in recent weeks, there were plenty of positives for Everton from this encounter. With Tarkowski having a bad day at the office, Jarrad Branthwaite led an excellent defensive shift as he made up for a lot of his partner’s errors and stood tall on several instances in the first half.
Iliman Ndiaye had his moments of magic sprinkled across the halves and debutant Carlos Alcaraz showed so much promise with his deft touches and dead-ball prowess. Jack Harrison’s introduction also helped Jake O’Brien dominate the right flank in the second half.
However, by far the biggest takeaway from this evening was how the Toffees clawed their way back in the second half. They went into the second half with a winning mindset and fans can take comfort in the fact that with a hint of luck, Everton could’ve not only drawn level here but could’ve even marched into the next round!
Chin up, boys, there’s a derby that needs winning next week!