AFC Bournemouth produced an astonishing late turnaround from 2-0 down to snatch a dramatic 3-2 victory over Everton at Goodison Park.
Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were on target early in the second half to put the hosts in control.
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However, they were pegged back late on as Antoine Semenyo halved the deficit on 87 minutes, before Lewis Cook levelled in the second minute of stoppage time.
There was to be another remarkable twist with Luis Sinisterra’s last-gasp header securing all three points for Andoni Iraola’s side.
How the match unfolded
Sean Dyche’s side made a bright start and carried the greater attacking threat early on. Idrissa Gueye fired over from just inside the box, while Jack Harrison dragged an effort wide of the target.
Bournemouth had debutant Kepa Arrizabalaga to thank in the 33rd minute when the goalkeeper – who joined on loan from Chelsea on deadline day – managed to block Iliman Ndiaye’s close-range volley with his legs.
The hosts broke through five minutes after the restart when Calvert-Lewin cushioned Harrison’s cross into the path of Keane, who drilled home superbly from 12 yards out.
Everton doubled their lead soon after as Calvert-Lewin rounded off another neat exchange of passes by latching on to Dwight McNeil’s through-ball, and calmly lifting over Kepa.
Everton went close to increasing their lead, but Bournemouth pulled a goal back three minutes from time when Semenyo turned in Dango Ouattara’s deep cross.
Another deep centre – this time from Sinisterra – was met by the head of Cook in the 92nd minute, while Jordan Pickford denied Marcus Tavernier and Semenyo soon after.
However, the England goalkeeper was helpless in the sixth minute of stoppage time, when an unmarked Sinisterra nodded in Justin Kluivert’s cross to snatch the most dramatic victory.
The Cherries’ first win of the season lifts them to seventh place, while pointless Everton remain rooted to the foot of the table.
Toffees’ August blues continue
Not since beating Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021 had Everton tasted a Premier League victory in the month of August, now stretching back 11 matches.
After conceding seven goals without reply in their opening two matches, the Toffees enjoyed a reprieve with the comfortable Carabao Cup win over Doncaster Rovers in midweek.
Dyche’s side appeared to have carried that momentum into today’s game, and the Goodison Park faithful certainly responded to them.
The two goals came from players celebrating reaching club milestones. Indeed, Keane opened the scoring on his 200th Everton start, while Calvert-Lewin marked his 250th appearance by doubling the lead.
The hosts almost added further gloss to the 2-0 scoreline when Ndiaye drew a fine save from Kepa, while James Tarkowski headed against the outside of the post.
Little did they know how costly those missed opportunities would be. Once Bournemouth gave themselves hope and momentum, there seemed to be every chance they could turn it around, and so it proved.
Comeback kings Bournemouth complete sensational turnaround
Bournemouth had lost on six of their seven previous Premier League visits to Goodison Park.
Those recent struggles on Merseyside were epitomised by the nervousness they demonstrated for large periods of the contest.
The Cherries were fortunate to only be trailing by two goals by the time they pulled one back in the 87th minute.
Iraola’s side, who opened the season with successive draws against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United, would certainly have taken another stalemate at that point.
But as the nerves grew among the Goodison Park faithful, Bournemouth grew stronger.
They had already gone within inches of completing the turnaround with Pickford denying them on two occasions, but their persistence eventually paid off as they sealed a remarkable comeback victory and in doing so, producing the latest win in Premier League history of any side to be trailing by two goals.
THE greatest comeback in @premierleague history 🍿 pic.twitter.com/emI7nZ0y1x
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) August 31, 2024
Fittingly, the Cherries ended their own Premier League struggles in the month of August, with a first such victory in 10 attempts since beating Aston Villa on the opening weekend of the 2022/23 season.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
11 | +6 | 19 |
| 5 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
11 | +5 | 19 |
| 6 |
Brighton
BHA
|
11 | +4 | 19 |
| 7 |
Fulham
FUL
|
11 | +3 | 18 |
| 8 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
11 | +2 | 18 |
Club reports
Everton report | Bournemouth report
What the managers said
Sean Dyche: "We did so much right until they scored their first goal. I think they had one shot on target before then. The game should have been out of sight. We conceded one and then threw it away. I can't put my finger on it right now."
Andoni Iraola: "In a game we didn't probably deserve to win we kept fighting and they had this willingness to win the game. I value it a lot because I think the players kept believing in a very difficult moment. I always have hope because this team has spirit. We have done it before and had some good comebacks. The spark of the first goal made us believe we could do it again."
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Key facts
Everton were leading by 2+ goals until the 87th minute – the latest a team has ever been 2+ goals ahead in a game they’ve gone on to lose in Premier League history.
Today was just the second time Bournemouth have won despite being 2+ goals down in a Premier League away game (W2 L55), following a 3-2 win at Nottingham Forest in September 2022.
Bournemouth scored two goals in a match in second half stoppage time for the first time ever in a Premier League game.
Everton lost a Premier League game in which they led by 2+ goals for the first time since March 2019 (2-3 v Newcastle), having been unbeaten in 29 such games before today (W28 D1).