Jack Grealish hit a late winner for Everton at the Vitality Stadium to sentence Bournemouth to a fourth defeat in five games.
A match lacking in clear chances looked to be heading for a draw when the England winger’s 20-yard strike took a big deflection off Bafode Diakite to beat Djordje Petrovic and earn the Toffees a second straight win on the road.
Entertainment was in short supply until Grealish, on loan from Manchester City, struck in the 78th minute as Everton bounced back from a miserable 4-1 home defeat by Newcastle with a third clean sheet in four matches.
Earlier, Cherries captain Antoine Semenyo was denied his seventh top-flight goal of the season when Jordan Pickford saved his powerful 23rd-minute attempt.
Everton came close when Alex Scott headed against his own bar when trying to defend a corner, while Thierno Barry was denied his first Toffees goal by Petrovic’s second-half save.
Everton’s Ukraine defender Vitalii Mykolenko was booked after his swinging arm struck Amine Adli for one of four yellow cards as David Moyes’ men claimed a first win in nine league visits to Bournemouth.
Bournemouth analysis: Worrying times with four defeats in five games
It is not that long ago people were talking up Bournemouth’s chances of qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history.
A win over Nottingham Forest on 26 October left them second in the table, but Andoni Iraola’s side have worryingly not won since.
They look a shadow of the team that defeated Wolves, Tottenham, Brighton and Fulham earlier in the season, and registered just five attempts against an Everton side that conceded four last time out.
That is their lowest total in a single match in the Premier League this season.
Iraola named Bournemouth’s youngest ever Premier League starting XI (23 years, 254 days) but, after blowing a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at Sunderland last Saturday, they produced a bitterly disappointing performance in front of their own fans.
Eli Junior Kroupi thought he had netted just before half-time, but his effort was ruled out for offside against Adli.
The games are coming thick and fast and the Cherries boss and his players have little time to work on their shortcomings before they host Chelsea on Saturday.
Everton analysis: Will Grealish kick on?
Jack Grealish’s strike gave Everton a first top-flight win at Bournemouth
This was a highly satisfying performance for Everton boss Moyes.
He had seen his side capitulate in front of their own fans last time out, but they responded with a gritty display that was capped off by a goal on the counter by Grealish.
Moyes has been calling for the winger to contribute more in terms of goals and assists, and he duly delivered to earn the Toffees a first top-flight win at Bournemouth at the ninth attempt.
Grealish now has two goals and four assists in 13 Premier League games for Everton and Moyes will hope the player can kick on.
While the 30-year-old found the net for the first time since 5 October, Barry’s wait for a first Everton goal continues after another frustrating game.
The French forward, 23, will feel unfortunate after Petrovic’s decent save, but the £27m summer signing from Villarreal was guilty of wasteful finishing as the game wore on.
Grealish, though, stepped up when needed to deliver a welcome third top-flight away win of the season.
