Bournemouth salvage point against Everton as Richarlison and Adam Smith both sent off
Bournemouth 2-2 Everton: The Toffees went two in front but the Cherries rallied well and recovered to level through a Joshua King penalty and Nathan Ake's equaliser 10 minutes from time
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Your support makes all the difference.Nathan Ake completed Bournemouth’s dramatic two-goal goal comeback after both sides had been reduced to 10 men.
Following the 41st minute dismissal of Richarlison following a clash with Bournemouth’s Adam Smith, Everton took a two-goal lead through Theo Walcott and Michael Keane. That should have been enough for Marco Silva’s side to secure a second win in three games, particularly as Smith was dismissed for a foul on Walcott in between the two strikes.
Bournemouth, though, rallied well and recovered to level through a Joshua King penalty and Ake equaliser 10 minutes from time to ensure both side maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign.
Everton’s more positive approach under Silva has already been praised but the manager will believe this was one drama too far as his side squandered the chance to claim maximum points.
Eddie Howe’s selections have been even more consistent with the Bournemouth manager naming an unchanged side for the third successive game. There was, however, a change on the bench with Jefferson Lerma, the Colombia World Cup midfielder signed for a club record £25 million, named among the substitutes for the first time since his arrival from Levante.
Unsurprsingly, given the early season results, there was a positive edge to both sides’ approach with Ryan Fraser’s early run testing the visiting defence before Everton stepped up the tempo to trouble Howe’s side. Leighton Baines’ drilled, low shot almost caught out keeper Asmir Begovic before referee Lee Probert waved away appeals for a penalty when Seamus Coleman went to ground after a challenge by Charlie Daniels.
It was Bournemouth, though, who settled to carve out the more telling openings during the first half with Callum Wilson particularly guilty of wasting a good chance to put the home side ahead. The striker scored in both Bournemouth’s opening games and should have maintained that run when he was set up by Fraser after an excellent break down the right hand flank by Adam Smith and David Brooks. Fraser rolled the ball into Wilson’s path and the forward got too much elevation on his shot as he attempted to find the top corner and the opportunity was gone.
The reaction to last weekend’s home defeat of Southampton reinforced the growing sense of optimism at Goodison Park following the appointment of Silva and the arrival of seven new signings during the summer transfer window.
Richarlison was the only one of the new arrivals to have featured in Silva’s starting line-up for the opening two games of the season and the manager again drew on familiar faces as they attempted to halt Bournemouth’s winning start with Tom Davies replacing the injured Morgan Schneiderlin.
Yet for all the home side created the better chances, Everton were dominant for long periods until Richardson lost his head four minutes before the break. The Brazilian had engaged in a series of niggling exchanges with Smith before he appeared to be provoked by by the Bournemouth right-back after the ball had gone out for an Everton throw. The pair pressed their foreheads against each other but it was Richarlison who pushed more aggressively to earn a straight red card.
Everton responded well to the setback, kickstarting a dramatic section half with the opening goal. Silva’s side might have been expected to ease their way into the second period, but instead they pressed forward in the 56th minute when Cenk Tosun took the ball wide before releasing Walcott into the area. The winger drilled a low shot towards the near post, beating Begovic’s dive.
Worse was to come for the home side when Smith was caught out by Walcott five minutes later and received the second red card of the game after bringing down the winger on the edge of area. Begovic saved well from the resulting free-kick, taken by Baines, but Bournemouth’s loss of composure was apparent in the 66th minute when they switched off at a free-kick, allowing Gylfi Sigurdsson to pick out Michael Keane who headed the second.
It was to Bournemouth’s credit the they refused to fold. Howe’s side rallied, gaining a foothold in the game when Baines pushed Wilson as the striker attempted to meet King’s 74th minute cross. King converted the penalty and the new life was breathed into the home side’s efforts.
An those efforts were rewarded ten minutes from time when Wilson headed against the post from a corner and Ake responded first to secure the point.
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