Everton lost 2-1 to Bournemouth at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Tuesday night, and one opposition player may have been turning out as a Toffee in a parallel universe.
David Moyes watched his side fall again at home, with a disastrous eight-minute spell in the second-half Everton’s demise.
Who was Everton’s biggest let down in that defeat to Bournemouth? 😤
There were a number of really poor displays out there! ❌
Jake O'Brien is sent off against Bournemouth.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Iliman Ndiaye had put Everton ahead from the penalty spot.
But Bournemouth hit back through Rayan and Amine Adli, with Jake O’Brien then getting himself sent off for a last-man challenge.
Moyes was fuming after the game, knowing that victory would have lifted his side up to sixth in the table.
Bournemouth are now level on points with Everton, and one man who certainly played his part last night was James Hill.
Everton scouted James Hill in 2021
James Hill dries the ball for Bournemouth.
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Hill has come in for all kinds of plaudits last night for his performance against Everton.
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Not only did he supply the assist for Adli to score Bournemouth’s second goal, but put on something of a defensive masterclass.
As per Sofascore data, he made a remarkable 20 defensive contributions, 13 of which were clearances.
He appeared to be everywhere at the back for the Cherries and played a big part in keeping Everton at bay towards the end.
And interestingly, it turns out that Hill was a player Everton reportedly scouted back in 2021.
What is going so wrong at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for Everton? 😳
It is now less than one win in every three following the loss against Bournemouth… 😤
A general exterior view of Hill Dickinson Stadium ahead of the Premier League match between Everton and Bournemouth.
Credit: Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA.
Indeed, according to the Daily Record, Everton did checks on the star when he was playing in League One with Fleetwood Town.
Manchester United and Liverpool had also monitored him, while Burnley and Southampton even made bids.
In the end, Hill left Fleetwood to join Bournemouth in January 2022 for a fee of around £1 million.
Hill worth keeping an eye on by Everton after defensive masterclass at Hill Dickinson
Hill was exceptional last night for Bournemouth, and Everton could do worse than to keep tabs on him going into the summer.
The likelihood is that Michael Keane will be leaving when his contract expires, so the Toffees will be needing to strengthen.
Hill will still have three years left on his contract this summer so Bournemouth would be in a healthy position in any negotiations. But he may be worth some enquiries.
James Hill battles Richalison for the ball.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Hill has enjoyed some great performances in recent weeks, helping Bournemouth become resurgent after a tough festive period. He has three assists in his last five games.
Given he can also play right-back, perhaps this is a player Everton ought to be looking at, as Jake O’Brien could, in theory, then stop playing out wide.
Everton have been linked with a move for Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth, so there is a possibility that the recruitment team will already have eyes on the Cherries, so maybe Hill could become a target.
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