Everton’s unbeaten start to the new Premier League season was derailed in a defeat at Bournemouth courtesy of a first-half strike from Junior Stanislas.

Stanislas broke the Blues heart for a second successive season, having scored in last season’s enthralling 3-3 draw, as he unleashed a stunning 25-yard effort.

Ronald Koeman’s side could have found themselves further behind when Arsenal loanee Jack Wilshere hit the crossbar for the Cherries later in the game.

Here were the key talking points from South Coast…

Back to the drawing board for Blues

 

Koeman had been quick to dampen the notion that Everton would be in contention to ‘do a Leicester’ and stage an unlikely bid for the Premier League.

Hindsight shows that Goodison Park’s latest incumbent was right to be dismissive; this was unconvincing as it came for a potential title contender.

Defeat at the Vitality Stadium also saw their bid to top the table in September for the first time since 1989 fall by the wayside – although they would have still required Manchester City’s unbeaten run to end at Swansea to do so.

The strides Everton have made under Koeman’s tutelage have generated huge plaudits but on the back of an humiliating EFL Cup exit to Norwich, they should have delivered a more emphatic response against Bournemouth.

How do you solve a problem like Barkley?

 

This season was always destined to be make-or-break for Ross Barkley.

Now 22 and a full England international, he can no longer hide behind the illusion that he is a player who remains ‘one for the future’.

Yet the Wavertree-born midfielder’s consistency remains a growing concern after another anonymous performance following his midweek horror show – although he was not alone in that against either the Canaries or the Cherries.

Even in his preferred attacking role, he appeared unsure of himself and vindicated complaints that he regularly slows down Everton’s build-up play.

The only alternatives Koeman has at his disposal are to either relocate Barkley or bench him. Cold, hard persistence is unlikely to pay off at this stage.

Oviedo is a pale imitation of Baines

 

Question marks have always arisen about Bryan Oviedo’s Everton career.

Injuries regularly curtailed the Costa Rican’s prospects to the point that Koeman’s decision to outsource Brendan Galloway appeared misguided.

Those doubts came home to roost on the South Coast as Oviedo attempted, unsuccessfully, to fill the void left by the absence of Leighton Baines.

The reality is that a player who has made only 62 appearances in his fifth season at Goodison Park was never going to be able to be a competent deputy. That’s not to say that Galloway would have fared much better.

Koeman will hope that Baines can make a swift recovery in time for the visit of Crystal Palace to Goodison next Friday.

Plan B must be a priority in January

 

It was not just in defence where Everton been haunted by their squad depth issues.

Though well-stocked with wingers, none are able to step up to the plate in the event of Barkley unsuccessfully toiling, as he did again at Bournemouth.

The ultimately failed bid for Andriy Yarmolenko may have lessened that current crisis while a proven striker could have eased the pressure on Romelu Lukaku.

Enner Valencia, unwanted by West Ham and unconvincing in a royal blue shirt, does not appear to be the solution to those ills in the striker department.

If Koeman is serious about challenging for European qualification, Everton will have to remedy their squad shortfall when the transfer window reopens.