Goodison’s Greatest Games: Everton 6-3 Bournemouth

Saturday, 4 February 2017

Everton came out firing from the first whistle in this nine-goal thriller against Bournemouth back in 2017. Games against the Cherries have so often produced plenty of goalmouth action during their two spells in England’s top-flight, but this one was perhaps the most entertaining of the lot.

Everton were pushing for European qualification at this point in the season, and needed a result at home to Eddie Howe’s side. Inside the opening minute, Romelu Lukaku set the tone of the afternoon when he played a quick one-two before cutting inside to curl an effort into the left-hand side of the goal, leaving the Bournemouth keeper with no chance. 1-0 to Everton.

From the sublime to the ridiculous for Everton’s second goal in the 23rd minute. Lukaku worked his magic on the right-hand side of the box before cutting the ball back to James McCarthy, whose first effort bounced back to him off a Bournemouth defender and, before he could react, the ball then bounced off the Everton midfielder and somehow made its way into the back of the net. 2-0 Everton.

Bournemouth were architects of their own downfall for Everton’s third goal of the game just six minutes later. A terrible pass into their own penalty area landed straight at the feet of Lukaku, who coolly placed the ball over the onrushing Artur Boruc to hand the Toffees a 3-0 lead at the interval.

In typical Everton style, Bournemouth were allowed to get back into the match, a match that had looked done and dusted at the halfway point. The Cherries scored twice through Josh King, a future Everton loanee, making the scoreline 3-2 and making Goodison a very nervous place.

However, up stepped Lukaku. Coleman’s cross from the right-hand side was volleyed in left-footed by the big Belgian striker to complete his hat-trick and put the Toffees 4-3 in front with seven minutes of the 90 remaining. But still the action was not over. Less than a minute later, Lukaku was at it again, getting on the end of a sublime back-heeled through ball from Ross Barkley to score his fourth goal of the game and end any faint chances of a Cherries comeback.

However, Bournemouth did manage to pull another goal back through Harry Arter in the 90th minute, one that was even scrappier than McCarthy’s in the first half. 5-3 to Everton but still time for the Blues to have the last laugh.

In stoppage time, a long ball forward found its way to Barkley, whose performance deserved a goal. The attacking midfielder dodged Boruc and, before even putting the ball into the back of the empty net, celebrated Everton’s sixth and the game’s ninth goal. A celebration that caused some controversy within the footballing world, but one that most Evertonians absolutely loved.

The match went down in history as Everton’s joint-highest scoring game at Goodison Park during the Premier League era, and one that the fans will never forget.

Starting Lineups

Everton: Joel (GK), Coleman, Williams, Funes Mori, Baines, McCarthy, Barry, Schneiderlin, Barkley, Lukaku, Lookman.

Bournemouth: Boruc (GK), Francis, Cook, Mings, Fraser, Arter, Surman, Gosling, Pugh, Wilshere, King.

Scorers:

Everton: Lukaku (1’,29’,83’,84’), McCarthy (23’), Barkley (90+4’);
Bournemouth: King (59’, 70’), Arter (90’).

Attendance: 39,026

 

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