David Moyes was delighted after his side earned a 1-0 win at Bournemouth
David Moyes was delighted with the win
David Moyes was delighted with the win(Image: Getty Images)
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David Moyes joked he was not sure whether or not to be pleased over Jack Grealish’s claim he loved the Blues boss “to pieces”.
Everton’s match winner was full of praise for the Scot in the immediate aftermath of his starring role in the 1-0 win at Bournemouth. When Moyes heard of his comments, he laughed before heaping praise on the Manchester City loanee.
“I don't know if I like that because players used to not like me”, Moyes said. “So I don't know how to take that. But look, the Everton supporters love Jack Grealish and I think Jack's giving the club something really different. I don't want to call him an entertainer, I want to call him a top footballer, and someone who can create goals and score goals.”
Moyes’ own love of Grealish is about far more than what he can do going forward. This was another performance in which the 30-year-old battled at both ends of the pitch, winning important interceptions and useful free-kicks across the pitch.
Going forward, he produced the game’s defining moment at the Vitality Stadium, cutting inside and striking past Dorde Petrovic courtesy of a deflection from Bafode Diakite.
Moyes, continuing his praise for Grealish, added: “He's passionate, he's not wanting to come off after 60 minutes, he's not showboating. He's going about his job and trying to do it as well as he can. I'm asking for him to score more goals. He's capable of getting assists and we want that, I want him to get a bundle of goals as well. And look, his shot tonight was on target, he gets a bit fortunate with the deflection, but that was it.”
The win was a deserved one for Everton, who overcame injuries and suspension to find a measured response to the disappointment of the home defeat to Newcastle United at the weekend.
Moyes was delighted, though measured in his response to a second significant away win eight days after the success at Old Trafford last month. He said: “We might have come here and got Bournemouth on a pretty good day because they've got a few injuries and a few suspensions - but we certainly have as well. We were just off the back of a disappointing result at the weekend. But I think that's us now. We have won three out of four and in three of the games we've kept a clean sheet, so that's pleasing.
“I think we just about shaded it tonight… The game got a wee bit opened up, more opened up in the second half, a wee bit more transitional and [it became a case of] whoever's going to make the most of it and thankfully we were the ones who got away from it.
“We were disappointed at the weekend but look, we've been doing great. Only a week ago we won at Old Trafford. Man United doing were really well. Let's be fair, Bournemouth have been bobbing around the top five or six for the start of the season. I think they have been good results away from home for us, to win two big games away from home is really important.”