Do Bournemouth have a weak underbelly?

Bournemouth can be slightly satisfied that they only conceded two goals in their last game compared to the threes and fours that they have been conceding. Any defeat in the Premier League is disappointing and there was probably no need for the team to push everyone up and concede the second goal, but Bournemouth are always prepared to take that risk.

The goals keep going in at the wrong end.

What is frustrating is that Bournemouth were well in this game against Everton. They had the Goodison crowd on the home team's backs. Everton were not able to get their game going and Bournemouth looked well on top. Yet, as soon as the players came out in the second half, Bournemouth didn't have quite the same energy. They switched off after a corner and to leave a big man like Zouma unmarked so close to goal was sloppy.

Once Bournemouth were a goal down, it was going to be a hard task to get back level. Everton were confident that they could see the game out and Bournemouth were deflated that they had again made a costly mistake. While comebacks are easier at home, they are extremely difficult to do at away games. Everton might not have played well but they got over the line. Bournemouth don't seem to be able to stay in these kind of games when they are close and still shoot themselves in the foot when they could be content with a good away point. It was probably Bournemouth's strongest defence for a while, but the back four will not be able to take a lot of comfort from the result.

Advertisement

Coastal Garden Buildings

Without the firepower of Wilson, they were always likely to find it hard to score many goals at Goodison. The plan was probably to get one and play counter-attacking football. But when that goal didn't come it was like Bournemouth didn't have anything else. But Howe was never going to go defensive and that is probably what Marco Silva knew. There would always be a chance for Everton the longer the game went on, because Bournemouth don't shut up shop. Being hard to beat is sometimes not a bad habit to get into when you are playing away from home against a similarly matched team. This was a game where Bournemouth risked everything, when perhaps they needn't had to. A solid clean sheet would have been very valuable.

Premier Talk - Huddersfield part company with David Wagner

AFCB were out of Liverpool game at half time

Eddie Howe admitted that AFCB were flat in the first half. They could not get in the game and there was a real possibility that Liverpool could have posted a very big score against AFCB. These are thin margins and it is always simple to look at the end result and thinking great we have won, but Eddie Howe must also consider how close the side was to being beaten out of side. It won't be the second half that will be played so much in the training rooms at AFCB, it is that first half against Liverpool when very little went right for the Cherries.

I'm pleased of course that AFCB won the game and did it in such a dramatic way. Yet, there are real things that AFCB and Eddie Howe didn't get right. Adam Smith was exposed at left back and struggled to work out how to stop Clyne and Mané racing past him, while on the other side even the experience of Simon Francis was not enough to keep James Milner from running riot in the opening minutes of the game.

It wasn't looking to good as AFCB and Liverpool went in at the break.

Many have pointed at Artur Boruc for the goals that went in during the first half, but I put them more down to poor communication more than anything else. Centre backs and goalkeepers need to shout when they feel they can or can't get to the ball and with no calls it simply leaves things open for attackers to grab the initiative. The second goal was a little more strange in that Artur really didn't need to come racing out as early as he did, but his decision was probably influenced by his decision not to come out quickly for Mané's opening goal. You can't win some times as a keeper. You have to make instant decisions and you are not going to get them all right.

Advertisement 

Broom Hill Garden Buildings

It was an amazing goal by Origi in the end for that second Liverpool goal. He had great composure to score from such an angle and at pace with Steve Cook also running back to try and cover the goal. At 0-2 it was just a matter of how many were Liverpool going to score. They were more powerful and faster to every ball. Arter and Gosling were almost spectators and unable to influence the game as Liverpool were pushing attacks down the wings and over the top.

It was quite something for AFCB to turn things around straight away at the start of the second half, but it will be very important for the rest of the season that they did. Now they see themselves in the top half of the table again, and that was not looking very likely at all at 2.15pm last Sunday when AFCB were 0-2 down.