Grealish's Clinical Finish Exposes Bournemouth's Toothlessness

Skip It Futmetrix Score: 37/100. A technically competent away victory wrapped in tactical suffocation—Everton won the only match that mattered, but neither team offered the football that makes Premier League nights memorable.

When Possession Becomes a Liability

Bournemouth dominated the narrative for 78 minutes. Fifty-five percent possession. Tidy passing (85% accuracy). They pressed, probed, and controlled the tempo. Yet control without conviction is just keeping the ball warm. Intensity flickered rather than burned—only four shots total, two on target, an xG of 0.54 that screamed missed chances rather than created ones. The Balance tilted decisively when Everton struck. Everton arrived as the underdog (27.9% win probability versus Bournemouth's 47.1%), yet arrived with purpose. Thirteen shots to four. Five on target. An xG of 1.35 that translated into the only goal that mattered.

The opening 45 minutes belonged to Bournemouth entirely—until it didn't. E.J. Kroupi's disallowed goal at 45+3 (VAR ruling offside) felt like a premonition. Bournemouth created the better chances. They couldn't finish. Stakes remained low for both sides—mid-table clubs fighting for respectability, not survival or glory—but the Upset component (7.8/10) lurked beneath the surface. Everton's clean sheet victory, despite absorbing relentless pressure, rewarded efficiency over elegance.

Grealish's Moment Defined a Narrow Contest

The 78th minute. Everton's attacking siege—13 shots to Bournemouth's 4—finally yielded. Jack Grealish, assisted by Carlos Alcaraz, finished with precision. One chance. One goal. Bournemouth's goalkeeper made two saves; Everton's made two. The difference: clinical execution versus wasteful possession. Bournemouth's 14 fouls (matching Everton's count) suggested defensive desperation creeping in, yet they never surrendered a second goal despite 13 shots faced.

The Balance shifted once, decisively. No comebacks. No late drama. No super-sub heroics. Just a singular moment where one team's discipline punished another's profligacy. Six yellow cards between them painted a picture of a match contested rather than celebrated.