Everton midfielder James Garner has reflected on the experience of scoring his first Premier League goal for Everton in Saturday’s win over Bournemouth.
James Garner opened the scoring for Everton in the 8th minute at Goodison Park to set the Toffees on their way to a 3-0 win.
Garner took his goal well and produced a fine all round display, excelling in his preferred position in the middle of the park. His presence in that part of the pitch, instead of someone like Idrissa Gueye, gives Everton some extra attacking impetus.
Despite finding the back of the net, Garner is still questioning whether taking the shot on in the first place was the sensible choice, given he could have easily set up either Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the £15 million former Manchester United man said, “I was breaking through and I had Dom [Calvert-Lewin] and Doucs [Doucoure] on my left… I was spoilt for choice. Maybe I picked the wrong choice! But the ball ended up in the back of the net and I’m happy to get my first goal.”
Everton now have a platform to build on
Sean Dyche certainly won’t mind that the 22-year-old opted to go it alone, given the end result. Garner will also take great confidence from opening his Premier League account. He will be hoping to kick on from this point and make himself a fixture in the Everton midfield.
Everton themselves also need to build on the decent run of form they have recently put together, as they are heading into a tough run of fixtures after the international break. They have Premier League fixtures against Liverpool, West Ham United, Brighton, Crystal Palace, and Manchester United to come.
Dyche needs to ensure that his side remain competitive throughout this run. They need to carry on taking their chances in front of goal and playing with attacking intent. Garner can play a key role in that, whilst the likes of Doucoure, Calvert-Lewin, and Jack Harrison, amongst others, need to keep impressing.
Having now gotten their first Premier League win at Goodison Park of the season under their belt, the Merseyside outfit must kick on from here.
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