Everton scored more than once at home for the first time in almost a year as Goodison Park finally celebrated a victory after a 3-0 win over a woeful Bournemouth.
October 22, 2022 was the last time Goodison witnessed a game with multiple goals for the hosts when Crystal Palace were dispatched by the same scoreline.
On-loan Leeds winger Jack Harrison, who departed to a standing ovation late on, marked his full home debut with a brilliant lob over goalkeeper Neto to double the advantage given to them by James Garner’s early strike.
Abdoulaye Doucoure, whose goal against the Cherries in May secured the club’s top-flight survival here on the final day of the season, made the game safe on the hour with an altogether more simple close-range finish.
After four successive home defeats, Everton avoided a record worst start to a season at Goodison but were fortunate to come up against Bournemouth.
The visitors extended their own club-record winless run to 12 matches (nine defeats and three draws) and have now equalled their worst start to a season since 1994 in the third tier. The reasons for that were apparent.
Everton have hosted – and lost to – some poor sides in Wolves, Fulham and Luton already this season but none were as accommodating as the Cherries, who aside from an energetic spell 10 minutes after going behind appeared to still be trying to work out what new coach Andoni Iraola wants them to do.
Sean Dyche’s side did not even have to play that well to establish a two-goal cushion but once they did the confidence started to gradually flow back, encouraged by the lack of threat their opponents posed.
Dyche had dropped midfielder Amadou Onana to move Garner inside so he could go with two wingers in Harrison and Dwight McNeil but the Belgium international received a late reprieve when Idrissa Gana Gueye sustained a problem in the warm-up.
The key factor in the victory was probably the early goal, something they had failed to manage in four previous matches.
Illia Zabarnyi slipped bringing the ball out of defence, Philip Billing was unable to recover possession and Garner advanced forward to guide a low shot past Neto’s left hand for his second goal in three games.
The goal prompted Everton’s worst spell of the game and Bournemouth’s best as Dominic Solanke drilled a shot into the side-netting from an acute angle as the momentum appeared to shift.
But Everton seized it back when Dominic Calvert-Lewin latched onto Ashley Young’s pass down the line and set off on a run along the byline to force Neto to block his cross-shot.
A minute later they had doubled their lead when Neto punched clear Vitalii Mykolenko’s hanging cross only as far as Harrison, who perfectly lofted a 20-yard shot over the backtracking goalkeeper and in off the underside of the crossbar.
Calvert-Lewin hit the same crossbar with a header and Onana fired a shot on the turn as Everton finished the half strongly before another mistake by Zabarnyi soon after the interval should have sealed Bournemouth’s fate.
The centre-back’s wayward pass presented the ball to Doucoure but, unlike his blast from the edge of the penalty area in May, he shot weakly at Neto.
He did not make the same mistake from close range when Harrison’s far-post header from McNeil’s cross was parried into his path by the goalkeeper and straight from kick-off he should have volleyed home the fourth from another McNeil cross.
Everton’s former Burnley winger was having a decent game himself and, after hacking Zabarnyi’s header off the line defending a corner, he managed to get on the end of the subsequent counter-attack to shoot at Neto.
The under-employed Jordan Pickford’s late saves from Kieffer Moore and Marcus Tavernier at least kept him tuned up for the forthcoming England internationals.
Postecoglou: Spurs have a confidence problem to overcome
Ange Postecoglou says that Tottenham need to "overcome" their low confidence after suffering a 4-2 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
Spurs slipped to their fourth consecutive Premier League defeat, being left to bemoan their slow start as they found themselves 4-0 down by the hour mark thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott.
Richarlison came off the bench to salvage some pride for Spurs, scoring one before setting up Son Heung-min for a goal on his 300th Premier League appearance.
Spurs had the opportunity to cut the gap to the top four after Aston Villa’s defeat to Brighton, but they remain seven points off a Champions League spot.
Postecoglou’s side still have a game in hand over the Villans, though he was sure that Spurs would be able to put their recent poor run behind them.
Asked if Spurs had a confidence problem, Postecoglou told Sky Sports: "Maybe in the front third there is.
"It probably is a bit of a lack of confidence, but again, that's something the guys have to work through.
"You have to find a way to overcome that because, ultimately, if you don't put pressure on the opposition in the front third after you've worked your way up there, they're going to get comfortable with their position."
Spurs have won just one of their last nine Premier League away games, failing to win any of the last five.
Despite that run extending at Anfield, Postecoglou highlighted what he thought was an improvement on their recent performances.
He continued: "Obviously a hugely disappointing outcome for us but at least we were more like ourselves today in terms of our football.
"Our last two away games at Newcastle and Chelsea, apart from the results which weren't great either, we just didn't try and play our football.
"I thought today, even in the first half, some of our football, our pressing was back to where it should be."
Klopp hails 'special' Anfield following Tottenham win
Jurgen Klopp says Anfield "was a special place" after Liverpool got back to winning ways at home against Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Reds cruised into a 4-0 lead against Spurs by the 59th minute as Mohamed Salah and Harvey Elliott played starring roles, with Andrew Robertson and Cody Gakpo also getting on the scoresheet.
They were set up for a slightly nervous finish by Spurs, with substitute Richarlison coming on to score and assist late on to half the deficit to 4-2 by the final whistle.
Victory kept Liverpool’s very slim title hopes alive after a recent dip in form that saw them take just one win from five before this, and Klopp was pleased with the Reds’ reaction in his penultimate game at Anfield.
"We are outstanding until we are not," the German told Sky Sports. "It was a really good game. Tottenham can put pressure on Aston Villa again for the Champions League. In high-performance things, you need a spark.
"Anfield was a special place today. We were 4-0 up, I made the changes, and we lost organisation. Tottenham showed how good they could be. I was happy with the performance.
"We were good in pretty much all areas offensively. The passes were good. So many things were good. We stayed calm. As long as they don't break the lines, then it's fine. Let them pass. I liked our game a lot. The goals were outstanding.
"You do it when you do it and if you miss it, then you miss it. If we win all three, then we can achieve the fifth-highest points tally of Liverpool.
"I would be lying if I said I was at my highest emotion, but I have another game. In two weeks’ time is another day. I have said it before, I love absolutely everything about this club."
Salah was restored to the starting line-up against Spurs after making headlines last weekend for a spat with Klopp on the sideline before he was brought on as a substitute.
He scored the opening goal for Liverpool and became the first player in Premier League history to score 10+ goals and provide 10+ assists in three consecutive seasons. He is also only the second player to tally 10+ in both in five separate seasons in the competition overall, after Wayne Rooney.
After assuring that the rift between him and Salah was resolved in the build-up to this game, Klopp was quick to praise his star man.
He added: "Mo was outstanding, he played a really good game. His side with Harvey [Elliott] was good. I was pleased for him.
"None of the boys want to play not great, why would they? Mo showed what he is capable of."
Ten Hag hopeful of Man Utd signings despite 'very good' basis to squad
Erik ten Hag wants Manchester United to "make new improvements" in the upcoming transfer window, though he believes the basis of the current squad is "very good".
Ten Hag's second season at Old Trafford has failed to live up to the standards set in his maiden campaign, which saw United end their trophy drought by winning the EFL Cup while finishing in the top four of the Premier League.
United head into their game away at Crystal Palace on Monday in eighth, 13 points off Aston Villa in fourth, and European qualification of any sort now looks a real battle.
With the transfer window opening soon, Ten Hag hopes the club makes additions, though he also feels the current squad has promise.
"I'm now going into my fifth [transfer] window," Ten Hag told reporters. "We have to make new improvements to the squad. But there is a base of this squad that is very good.
"The injuries had a big impact, but we are still below the levels of the expectations Manchester United have, so we have to catch up."
Harry Maguire, whose future is reportedly uncertain, was on Sunday ruled out for the rest of the season due to a muscle injury.
Palace, meanwhile, have breezed to Premier League safety since the arrival of Oliver Glasner in February, currently 14th in the table and 14 points clear of 18th-placed Luton Town.
The Eagles are unbeaten in four, and Glasner is hopeful his side can keep that run going as they look to finish the season strongly.
"We hope that we can keep this momentum," Glasner said.
"It is up to us how we work during the week. They look ready, I could see how focused they are in training.
"We're four games unbeaten and the goal is staying unbeaten until the end of the season."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Crystal Palace – Jean-Phillipe Mateta
Mateta has scored in each of his five home Premier League appearances under Glasner (seven goals), having only netted in five out of his first 37 home matches for Palace beforehand (five goals). The last player to score in his first six home appearances under one manager in the competition was Alan Shearer for Kevin Keegan in 1996-97 (first nine). The former Lyon striker will likely provide Palace's main goal threat on Monday.
Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes is an injury doubt for Monday's game at Selhurst Park, and his absence would be a huge blow. Fernandes created 31 chances in his six appearances in all competitions for United in April, seven more than any other Premier League player. He created nine chances in each of his last two Premier League appearances (vs Sheffield United and Burnley), becoming the only player on record to create nine or more chances in consecutive matches (2003-04 onwards). If he is ready to go on Monday, he will prove key to United's chances of victory.
MATCH PREDICTION – MAN UTD WIN
Palace won 1-0 against United at Old Trafford earlier this campaign – the Eagles have never completed a league double over the Red Devils.
United have shipped 77 goals in 47 games in all competitions this season, their most in a season since 1977-78 (80). Their current ratio of conceding (1.64 goals-per-game) is their worst since the 1962-63 campaign (1.75 per game).
Meanwhile, United won eight of their first 11 away Premier League games against Palace (three draws) but are winless in their last three (two draws, one defeat).
Palace have won both of their last two Premier League games at Selhurst Park, last winning three in a row at home in the competition in October 2022.
United have both scored and conceded in each of their last eight Premier League away games – only once have they had a longer such run in the competition, doing so in nine consecutive games between May and November 2001. They are favourites to win Monday's game, but they may have to score several to get the three points with how leaky they currently are at the back.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Palace: 29.4%
Man Utd: 41.8%
Draw: 28.8%
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