By SCM Sports Desk
EVERTON fans were left singing in the rain—and it wasn’t a happy tune—as David Moyes’ men suffered a horror second-half collapse to lose 2-1 against a resilient Bournemouth. The Toffees looked to be cruising toward the top six when Iliman Ndiaye coolly slotted home a 42nd-minute penalty.
The spot-kick was gifted to them by Bournemouth’s teenage sensation Rayan, who clumsily hacked down Jarrad Branthwaite in the box.
At that moment, the 19-year-old Brazilian looked like he wanted the Goodison turf to swallow him whole.
But in the second half, the boy from Vasco da Gama showed exactly why the Cherries splashed £24.7 million on him.
Everton striker Thierno Barry will be having nightmares about this one after missing two absolute sitters that would have buried the game. Instead, the door was left ajar, and Rayan kicked it down.
In the 61st minute, Adrien Truffert swung in a delicious cross, and there was Rayan, ghosting in at the far post to thump a header past Jordan Pickford. From villain to local hero in less than twenty minutes, Rayan became only the third teenager in Prem history to bag a goal or assist in each of his first three games.
Before the Goodison faithful could even finish grumbling, the turnaround was complete.
Just three minutes later, Alex Scott’s deep free-kick was expertly squared by James Hill, and Amine Adli was there to nod into an empty net.
The “implosion” was finalized when Jake O’Brien saw red.
The Everton defender was sent packing by ref Andy Madley after haulining down the flying Adli, who was clean through on goal.
”The players are doing a great job here, we just didn’t quite have enough tonight,” a damp David Moyes admitted after the whistle. “I only have myself to blame.”
While Everton remain stuck in eighth, Bournemouth climb to ninth, level on points and breathing down the necks of the Merseyside elite.
For the Toffees, it’s a sixth home game without a win; for the Cherries, it’s a Brazilian-inspired heist to remember.
