Bournemouth burst Everton’s bubble to end David Moyes’ dream of bringing silverware back to the club – for this season at least – with a 2-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory.
After three successive league wins had eased relegation fears, the Scot hoped the cup would afford his players a release from the relentless pressure of the last couple of years, but the high-energy Cherries are not such accommodating opponents.
In Antoine Semenyo they have a livewire winger who has caused many defenders a problem and James Tarkowski will be pleased to see the back of the Ghana international after enduring a nightmare opening 45 minutes.
The 25-year-old, whose 87th-minute goal sparked Bournemouth’s remarkable comeback victory from 2-0 down in August, won and then converted a 23rd-minute penalty, having lured Everton’s stand-in captain into an inadvisable lunge.
Semenyo netted from the spot in the 23rd minute
Semenyo continued to torment the veteran centre-back so much his brain appeared frazzled when he cleared a short goal-kick straight to Marcus Tavernier, allowing Daniel Jebbison to score in successive cup games.
The Canadian-born forward, who became the Premier League’s youngest scorer on their full debut with a goal for Sheffield United at Goodison Park in 2021, had been recalled from a loan spell at Championship side Watford to help ease the Cherries’ injury crisis up front.
Prior to his goal in the third-round win over West Brom he had not scored since January 2023, but on his first start since joining for £1.5m from Burton in the summer he made it two in six appearances.
Daniel Jebbison doubled Everton’s lead
Moyes spoke ahead of the game about his desire to challenge for a trophy again, with Everton’s last coming in 1995, and named his strongest side, with only Vitalii Mykolenko missing with a minor calf problem.
But after Iliman Ndiaye narrowly failed to squeeze a shot between the legs of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga after weaving his way along the touchline, the visitors, spearheaded by Semenyo, took control.
James Tarkowski conceded and early penalty and was also at fault for Bournemouth’s second
Semenyo was taken out by Tarkowski’s sliding challenge but picked himself up to blast the spot-kick past Jordan Pickford. who dived the right way.
He also had an effort blocked by the lunging Jarrad Branthwaite, who got in the way of Tavernier’s shot from Tarkowski’s error, only to divert the ball to Jebbison, who stabbed home the rebound after Pickford parried.
It was difficult to see a way back for Everton after Ndiaye missed his kick 14 yards out early in the second half, but a debut off the bench for new loan signing Carlos Alcaraz injected some life.
His 30-yard free-kick crashed against the outside of one post, with Jake O’Brien heading against the other, which was also struck by Jack Harrison’s inswinging cross as Everton finished the match with centre-back Michael Keane playing as a striker.
