Sean Dyche launched a scathing attack on his Everton side after they squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Bournemouth in a stunning collapse at Goodison Park.
The defeat, which Dyche described as the most frustrating of his career, leaves Everton rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, still without a point this season.
Everton appeared to be cruising towards their first victory of the campaign after goals from Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin had given them a 2-0 lead before the hour mark.
However, a drop in intensity from the home side, combined with astute substitutions from Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, completely turned the game around.
Bournemouth’s revival began with Antoine Semenyo’s header, followed by another headed goal from Lewis Cook, as the visitors took advantage of a vulnerable Everton defence.
The final blow came deep into stoppage time when Luis Sinisterra nodded home the winner, sending Everton into disarray and leaving their fans in shock.
Dyche, who only made his first substitution in the 83rd minute after Bournemouth had already used all five of theirs, was left fuming at his team’s lack of resolve.
“You have to play for every breath of the game,” he said. “When you see a side dominate so clearly and have so many chances, just do the basics and win the game.
“I told them after the game: win your tackles, win your headers, win your races, and you win the game. But for whatever reason, they score a goal, and we’re just staring at each other, asking, ‘Who’s going to do that? Who’s going to win those tackles, headers, and races?’ We were waiting for someone else to step up. You can’t do that.”
Reflecting on the match, Dyche added:
“For 87 minutes, it was a very, very good performance. But after their first goal, I could smell it in the air—I thought, ‘This isn’t right.’ I was trying to correct it, screaming at them to fix their shape and just do the ugly side of the game. Play forwards, win your headers, win your tackles, win your races. We didn’t, and they get a winner out of nowhere.”
When asked where this ranks among his worst defeats, Dyche admitted:
“I’ve had a few as a player, coach, and manager. It’s the most frustrating, I will say that.”
Dyche lamented his team’s inability to sense danger, saying:
“Part of learning as a footballer is when you can smell it on a pitch. We’re still playing one-twos and going for overlaps—you don’t need to. We’re in control of the game, complete control. We didn’t need to do that. So then they push forward, cross it into the box. Absolute basics of football. They did it, and we didn’t deal with it.”