Bournemouth 1-1 Everton: Tarkowski’s Late Strike Denies Rose First Win
Everton snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw at Bournemouth, with James Tarkowski’s added-time equaliser denying Marco Rose a first win as Cherries head coach.
Alex Scott had put the hosts ahead just before half-time, and things looked to be falling into place at the Vitality Stadium after Bournemouth’s glamour Europa League draw against AC Milan was confirmed on Friday. But deep into stoppage time, Everton defender Tarkowski pounced on confusion between Ryan Christie and Marcus Tavernier at a corner to drill home the leveller.
Bournemouth striker Evanilson had earlier spurned a glorious chance to wrap up the win before Tarkowski’s intervention, while Everton’s in-form forward Thierno Barry missed several opportunities of his own for David Moyes’ side.
Harrison Armstrong retained his place in the Everton line-up amid reported interest from Nottingham Forest, worth a reported £40m, with James Garner the only change from last weekend’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, coming in for Hayden Hackney. Bournemouth made no changes following their 2-1 defeat at Manchester City, and were almost caught out inside ten minutes when Jarrad Branthwaite’s header from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s corner forced a save from Djordje Petrovic, tipped wide.
“Welcome Marco” banners greeted Rose’s first home game in charge before kick-off. Rayan then tested Jordan Pickford at the other end for the hosts’ first chance, while Petrovic recovered from spilling Tyrique George’s effort to deny Barry what would have been his fifth goal in three matches.
Everton looked the more dangerous side in open play despite seeing less of the ball, but it was Bournemouth who struck first, four minutes before the break. Evanilson, sent away down the right by Rayan, turned away from Tarkowski before squaring for Scott, who created space just inside the box and finished into the bottom corner via a deflection off Vitaliy Mykolenko.
Barry — who scored a hat-trick in Everton’s 4-0 Carabao Cup win at Preston in midweek after also netting against Palace — went close to an equaliser twice before the interval. He fired into the side-netting from a counter-attack late in the first half, then was denied by another good stop from Petrovic after being played through by Armstrong early in the second.
Everton had penalty appeals waved away soon after when Dewsbury-Hall went down under a challenge from James Hill. Bournemouth then had a golden chance to seal the game 11 minutes from time, Pickford producing a brilliant diving save to keep out Rayan, only for the loose ball to fall to Evanilson with the goal at his mercy — his effort somehow blocked on the line by Everton substitute Hackney.
Evanilson headed the resulting corner wide, and Scott later saw a curling effort acrobatically clawed away by Mykolenko, as Bournemouth continued to search for a second. It appeared that pressure would be enough to hand Rose a first win on home soil.
But deep into stoppage time, Tavernier and substitute Christie got in each other’s way at a corner, allowing Tarkowski to fire beyond Petrovic and snatch a point for Everton.
