Match Information
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Match Overview
Bournemouth host Everton at the Vitality Stadium in Regular Season - 2, a fixture that offers both sides an early opportunity to build momentum after contrasting starts to the Premier League campaign. With Everton sitting fourth and Bournemouth down in 14th, the early league table already hints at diverging trajectories, even at this early stage of the season.
Recent Premier League results underline that gap. Bournemouth opened their league campaign with a 2-1 defeat away to Manchester City on August 23, while Everton began with a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace on August 22. Everton's clean sheet and victory contrast with Bournemouth's narrow loss to the champions, giving Leighton Baines' side the more encouraging platform heading into this match, though a single result in either direction should not be over-read this early in the season.
Squad availability is a notable factor here: both clubs report no injuries, meaning Marco Rose and Leighton Baines can each select from full-strength squads. For Bournemouth, that means continuity is possible from their last competitive lineup, built around the 4-2-3-1 shape featuring Evanilson as the focal point of attack. Everton, likewise unaffected by fitness concerns, can retain the personnel that delivered their opening-day win, including the spine of Pickford, Tarkowski, Branthwaite and Dewsbury-Hall.
Head-to-head history also adds intrigue, with Bournemouth having won several of the more recent meetings between these clubs, including two convincing away victories at Everton. Whether that pattern holds any bearing on a match played at the Vitality Stadium remains to be seen, but it forms part of the broader context entering Matchday 2. With both sides still shaping their identity for the season, this fixture represents an early form marker for two clubs with different immediate ambitions.
Predicted Lineups
Bournemouth
D. Petrovic; A. Smith, J. Hill, A. Silva, A. Truffert; L. Cook, A. Scott, Rayan, J. Kluivert, M. Tavernier; Evanilson
Everton
J. Pickford; M. Rohl, J. Tarkowski, J. Branthwaite, V. Mykolenko; H. Armstrong, H. Hackney, I. Ndiaye, K. Dewsbury-Hall, T. George; T. Barry
Team Form Analysis
Bournemouth
League Position: 14Bournemouth Form Analysis
Bournemouth's recent form shows a mixed picture heading into Matchday 2. Their Premier League opener ended in a 2-1 defeat away to Manchester City on August 23, a tough away test against one of the league's strongest sides. In preseason friendlies, results were similarly varied: a 2-1 loss to FSV Mainz 05, a 2-2 draw with Real Betis, a resounding 10-1 win over Genoa, and a 5-2 away victory at FC Augsburg. The friendly results suggest attacking sharpness is present in the squad, with the Genoa and Augsburg matches showcasing significant firepower. However, defensive consistency has been less certain across these matches, with three of the last five outings resulting in defeat or a share of the points against sides that ranged widely in quality. The competitive Premier League defeat to Manchester City provides the most relevant data point, indicating Bournemouth will need to tighten up defensively against a well-organized Everton side at the Vitality Stadium.
Everton
League Position: 4Everton Form Analysis
Everton head into this match with the more encouraging recent form of the two sides. Their Premier League opener produced a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace on August 22, a clean sheet result that suggests defensive solidity in competitive conditions. Their preseason schedule included a 1-1 draw with Lille, a 3-1 away win at Newcastle, a 3-1 defeat to VfB Stuttgart, and a 2-1 away win over Hamburger SV. Across these five matches, Everton picked up three wins, one draw and one loss, a reasonably solid return. The competitive victory over Crystal Palace stands out as the most significant marker, both for the clean sheet and for the fact it came in the Premier League itself rather than a friendly setting. That balance of defensive resilience and functional attacking output going into the Bournemouth fixture positions Everton as the side with more competitive momentum entering Matchday 2.
Head-to-Head
Bournemouth
Everton
Recent Meetings
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-10 | Everton | 1 - 2 | Bournemouth |
| 2025-12-02 | Bournemouth | 0 - 1 | Everton |
| 2025-07-26 | Everton | 0 - 3 | Bournemouth |
| 2025-02-08 | Everton | 0 - 2 | Bournemouth |
| 2025-01-04 | Bournemouth | 1 - 0 | Everton |
| 2024-08-31 | Everton | 2 - 3 | Bournemouth |
| 2024-03-30 | Bournemouth | 2 - 1 | Everton |
| 2023-10-07 | Everton | 3 - 0 | Bournemouth |
| 2023-05-28 | Everton | 1 - 0 | Bournemouth |
| 2022-11-12 | Bournemouth | 3 - 0 | Everton |
Memorable Matches
The history between these two clubs has produced some notable scorelines. On 2026-02-10, Bournemouth won 2-1 away at Everton, continuing a productive recent run against them. Further back, on 2025-07-26, Bournemouth secured a commanding 3-0 away win at Everton. The rivalry has swung both ways over the years, however, as shown by Everton's 3-0 home win on 2023-10-07. These matches highlight a fixture that has produced decisive results in both directions rather than tight, low-scoring affairs, adding an extra layer of interest to the sides' latest meeting at the Vitality Stadium.
Venue Factor
The Vitality Stadium provides Bournemouth with home advantage for this Matchday 2 fixture, a factor that can matter early in the season as squads adjust to competitive rhythm. Everton, meanwhile, will be looking to carry their away-day composure into a traditionally tight, compact venue that can be difficult for visiting sides to settle into. Historically, this fixture has produced strong away performances from Bournemouth when travelling to Everton, but venue dynamics shift when the fixture is reversed. The atmosphere generated by the home crowd at the Vitality Stadium is often cited as a supportive factor for Bournemouth, and with both sides fielding full-strength squads, the ground's compact dimensions and vocal support could play a meaningful role in shaping the tempo of the match.
For full statistical context, check out the see expert picks.
Injury Concerns
Bournemouth
Everton
