Five wins in a row against Everton, yet Bournemouth has just let a 2-0 lead slip away. This mixture of dominance in direct encounters and fresh disappointment characterizes the mood ahead of the match at Vitality Stadium. In the middle of the Premier League table, Bournemouth in 11th place with 19 points and Everton in 14th place with 18 points are separated by only a few points. On paper, it looks like a balanced matchup, but the recent record clearly favors the Cherries. However, Andoni Iraola’s team comes into the home game on the back of a setback, having squandered a quick 2-0 lead in a 3-2 defeat at Sunderland, with Lewis Cook receiving a red card for violent conduct in stoppage time and now missing in central midfield. Everton travel with similarly mixed feelings, following up an important 1-0 away win at Manchester United with a heavy 4-1 defeat to Newcastle, and the personnel situation is also tense. Idrissa Gueye was sent off at Old Trafford after slapping teammate Michael Keane and is suspended. Coach David Moyes praised his team’s fighting spirit, but the incident has left its mark. Offensively, Iliman Ndiaye remains a key factor after his winning goal in Manchester, and Everton will rely on him particularly in transition play. Tactically, Bournemouth are likely to control the game in front of their home crowd with a lot of possession and pressure down the wings, but without Cook, their midfield is more vulnerable to physical duels, which Everton can exploit with aggressive pressing and quick counterattacks. Defensively, the visitors need more stability and compactness, especially given their recent disciplinary problems, in order to curb Bournemouth’s home strength. Overall, Bournemouth remain favorites, buoyed by their run of five consecutive wins against Everton and their decent record at Vitality Stadium. A narrow home win or a draw seems realistic, with a 1-0 or 2-1 win for Bournemouth looking very plausible given their form and personnel situation.
- Venue: Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
- Date and time: December 2, 2025, 8:30 p.m.
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 14)
Bournemouth is considered the favorite despite recent fluctuations, while Everton has not won any of its last eight Premier League away games and will be without key players Jarrad Branthwaite in defense and Merlin Röhl in midfield. The tip for over 1.5 goals in the first half is supported by the fact that the Cherries have scored at least two goals before the break in their last five home games, while Everton have conceded goals before the break in four of their last five games – the statistics clearly point to early goals. The combined approach Both teams to score: Yes and Bournemouth to win is based on the offensive and defensive statistics of both teams. In around 80% of their recent games, both teams have scored and conceded goals. The defenses appear vulnerable, while the attacks are dangerous, particularly for Everton with Iliman Ndiaye. Even without Kluivert, Bournemouth still has enough quality in the final third. Under these circumstances, a home win for the Cherries with goals at both ends seems well justified.
Bournemouth Form & Record Check
The Cherries are going through a fluctuating phase, with only one win in their last five league games, plus three defeats and a draw, leaving them in 11th place with 19 points, level on points with Brentford and only one point ahead of Tottenham, reflecting their inconsistency after what was actually a promising start to the season. The 2-3 defeat at Sunderland fits the picture: after taking a quick 2-0 lead through Adli and Adams, Bournemouth collapsed, conceding three goals, including a penalty from Le Fee and a goal from Brobbey, and lost a key midfielder in stoppage time when Cook was sent off for violent conduct. The frequency of goals in Bournemouth’s games is generally striking. In the last five games, at least two goals were scored in each half, with around 80% ending with more than 3.5 goals. This underlines Iraola’s offensive approach, but also exposes defensive problems, especially in the first 45 minutes. Heavy defeats such as the 4-0 loss at Aston Villa and the 3-1 defeat at Manchester City, as well as points dropped against direct rivals, such as the 2-2 draw with West Ham, illustrate the balancing act between attacking power and vulnerability. Their last victory to date was at the end of October, when they beat Nottingham Forest 2-0. In terms of personnel, several absences are complicating the situation: Kluivert is expected to be out until early December, Soler is with the national team, and Cook’s suspension after his red card leaves a gap in the center, which damages the already fragile stability in midfield. In addition, rumors about Semenyo and Manchester City’s interest are causing distraction. In the short term, Bournemouth needs to stabilize its defense with more compact pressing and better coverage of the wings, as well as improving tactical discipline in midfield and its behavior in the final stages of games. In the medium and long term, it needs more squad depth to cope with injuries and clear communication around potential transfers so that the focus remains on the pitch.
There is a German-language draft of Bournemouth’s expected line-up, but it raises the question of how this information should be used, whether for a summary, a translation into English, a short social media text, a tactical analysis or a list of the starting eleven. Essentially, it is a question of what specific presentation of the lineup is desired; the material could be prepared accordingly, depending on requirements.
Everton Form & Record Check
Everton is in 14th place in the table with 18 points and is showing a distinctly inconsistent form, with two wins, one draw, and two losses in its last five league games, the nature of which could hardly be more different. The 1-0 away win at Manchester United, their first victory at Old Trafford since 2013, was a statement, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scoring the goal and the team defending their lead despite having to play with ten men from the 13th minute onwards after Idrissa Gueye was sent off for slapping teammate Michael Keane. David Moyes subsequently defended Gueye. However, just 48 hours later, Everton suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat at home to Newcastle, with their defense literally falling apart. Everton were already 3-0 down at half-time, Malick Thiaw scored twice, and the late consolation goal was only cosmetic. In addition, captain Séamus Coleman had to be substituted after around ten minutes due to injury. The previous games, a win against Fulham, a draw against Sunderland, and a defeat against Tottenham, confirm the image of a team that is vulnerable against direct competitors but can repeatedly surprise stronger opponents. Statistically, there has been less than one goal in the second half in four of the last five games, but over the full 90 minutes there have usually been at least two goals, an indication that many games are decided early on and then tend to be managed. In terms of personnel, Jarrad Branthwaite, an important pillar of the central defense, is expected to be out until the end of January, Nathan Patterson is set to return in early December, and Merlin Röhl is also unavailable. The defense looked particularly vulnerable without these players against Newcastle. The incident between Gueye and Keane is also weighing on the team’s internal dynamics. Overall, the lack of consistency remains Moyes’ biggest problem. Everton are difficult to pin down, alternating between strong performances and disastrous outliers. In the short term, he must stabilize the defensive organization and leadership within the team in order to avoid remaining stuck in the middle of the table.
Everton are expected to line up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation, but manager David Moyes will be without several key players. Center back Jarrad Branthwaite is still out with injury, and Idrissa Gueye is suspended after receiving a red card against Manchester United. Lewis Garner and Arnaut Danjuma Iroegbunam (Iroegbunam) are therefore likely to start in defensive midfield as a double six. Anthony Gordon Patterson (Patterson) and Jordan Röhl (Röhl) are also unavailable.
Bournemouth – Everton Head-to-head comparison & statistics
In recent head-to-head matches, everything points to Bournemouth, with the Cherries winning all of their last five games against Everton, 3-0 in July 2025, 2-0 in February 2025 in the FA Cup, 1-0 in January 2025, 3-2 in August 2024 and 2-1 in March 2024 – a very clear record. There is a clear pattern here: the first halves were mostly evenly matched, with three games going into the break goalless or tied, and it was only after the break that Bournemouth regularly increased the tempo, scoring at least two goals in the second half in each of the last three encounters. What is particularly problematic for Everton is that the team conceded goals in all five of these games and left the pitch as losers every time, twice even without scoring themselves. Especially after the break, the Toffees often failed to find a suitable response and appeared increasingly inferior from around the 46th minute onwards. For the upcoming match, it can be deduced that Bournemouth is tactically and physically capable of controlling and pushing the game, especially after halftime. Everton must significantly improve its organization in the second half, its freshness through substitutions, and its ability to make tactical adjustments if it is to break its losing streak.
