Everton Secure Premier League Survival សូមអរគុណដល់ Doucoure Wonder Goal

A thunderous strike from Abdoulaye Doucouré maintained Everton’s top-flight status in English football for a 70th consecutive season and sparked fireworks at Goodison Park.

The roar from the Everton fans in the aftermath could be heard for miles around as fireworks expoded behind the stand at the Gwladys Street end of the old stadium.

It was a shot heard around Merseyside, and one that will go down in Everton history. It being one of their goals of the season regardless of the situation, will only add to its legendary status.

The goal was vital given Leicester City defeated West Ham, meaning Everton needed to win to stay up. For a long time, due to a fairly blunt attack, it didn’t look like such a win would come.

Everton will move into a new home on the banks of the Mersey at some point during the 2024/25 season, but its current, historic stadium, is witnessing some of the most memorable scenes in its 131-year history.

Ideally, escaping relegation wouldn’t be the type of thing Everton fans are celebrating in the final moments here, but given how poorly the club has been run in recent years, Premier League survival in the last two seasons has been an achievement in itself.

The club’s current manager, Sean Dyche, appointed in January to replace Frank Lampard, has regularly spoken about the imbalance of this squad.

Poor planning and disjointed recruitment have hampered a club that not too long ago had its eyes on Champions League qualification when managed by Carlo Ancelotti.

Everton has no like-for-like replacement for the injured striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, while there was no recognised full-back available for this key fixture.

The formation against Bournemouth was roughly 5-4-1 with Demarai Gray playing as the central forward, and Dwight McNeil and James Garner as wingbacks.

These are not the natural positions for any of these players, but Dyche has placed them in areas of the pitch where they can play a role and use their strengths as best they can.

Everton sent crosses into the box, seemingly in the hope Calvert-Lewin may magically appear, as they are prone to doing in his absence. This relied on Doucouré and Amadou Onana bursting forward into the box to give the home team more of a presence in the opposition area.

But Doucouré’s vital goal would come from outside this area. Ideally placed when the ball fell to him, the Mali international let rip a thunderous strike at the Park End which saw Goodison erupt.

The fireworks might have been premature, but once let off, once heard, and once those celebratory songs had echoed across Merseyside on this pleasant bank holiday weekend, the players had no choice but to hold on to the win.

There was plenty of insurance in Dyche’s lineup, and few risks being taken. Garner and McNeil were mostly reserved, meaning Everton’s back line was more often a five than a three.

Everton’s problems are not hidden by this escape from relegation. The poor recruitment was highlighted by the fact a forward the club spent $18 million to bring in from Brighton, Neal Maupay, has yet to find a role in this team and remained on the bench despite Everton being in desperate need of a goal.

Ellis Simms, the 22-year-old Everton youth product recalled from his loan at Sunderland earlier in the season, was the striker trusted to see the game out late on—something they managed to do.

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved well from Matias Vina in one of the nervy ten minutes of added time. Doucoure’s wonder goal proved to be enough.

Fans streamed onto the pitch as the final whistle finally went. The familiar sight and smell of blue smoke emerged across the field, as chants of “sack the board” rang out in the stands.

Everton fans are delighted to stay up, but also don’t want to be in this situation again, and managed to demonstrate both sides of their emotions at the end of this game. They were desperate for Premier League survival, but also want change at board and ownership level.

For now, they will be able to watch and rewatch the Doucoure goal over and over again, and look forward to another season at the top of English soccer.