Everton manager Sean Dyche has explained that his job at Everton has been about much more than just getting the best out of his players.

The Toffees have won just one of their last 10 matches as they go into their away game against Bournemouth to kick off 2025, but Dyche thinks that there are different measures of success than just results.

"My job here has been endless but nobody really cares... we've saved hundreds of millions of pounds, wages, skinning the squad down, all the rest of it. It's not relevant, it's just, 'go win a game," he said.

"It depends how you measure it. I know the work we've done here. I know the work we've done financially. I know the work we've done with players. Players here are worth 10 times more than they were when we got here, so there's development."

Everton were docked a total of eight points last season for breaching profit and sustainability rules, but their manager suggested that he craved stability.

"Some managers get the luxury of going, 'your job is to just concentrate on the team and that's it' because everything else is in place. It clearly hasn't been here and it's still not. There is miles to go," he said.

Despite that, Dyche did acknowledge that his side also need to improve on the pitch as well as off it. 

"If you measure it on just winning games, we need to do better, I need to do better. If you're measuring it on the whole job, I'm pretty happy," he added. 

Andoni Iraola, meanwhile, suggested that Bournemouth's players are developing a better understanding of one another in the aftermath of their 2-2 draw against Fulham.

"We are starting to understand his [Evanilson] movements better and the ball from James Hill is a lovely ball. He had another chance but his touch is too heavy and Leno does well.

"Very positive, it has to be. But they don't give you anything for half of the season. We are starting to feel the injuries, we are quite thin of numbers."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bournemouth – Evanilson

Evanilson is Bournemouth's joint second-highest scorer this season alongside Antoine Semenyo with five goals.

The Brazilian scored his fifth goal of the season in the Cherries' 2-2 draw away to Fulham last time out, having previously scored against Brentford, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Southampton. 

Everton – Jordan Pickford

Prior to their matches against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, Pickford had kept three straight clean sheets against Chelsea, Arsenal and Wolves.

Everton have also conceded fewer goals than any other Premier League club (24) than any club outside the top eight in the Premier League.

MATCH PREDICTION: BOURNEMOUTH WIN

Bournemouth are currently on a seven-match unbeaten run in the Premier League (W4 D3), while they have won four and drawn two of their last seven at the Vitality Stadium.

The Cherries also beat Everton 3-2 at Goodison Park when the two sides previously met in August, having been 2-0 down in the 87th minute and scored twice in stoppage time.

They have won five of their last seven Premier League meetings with Everton (L2). Everton, meanwhile, have never won a Premier League away match against Bournemouth (D2 L5).

Everton have had fewer big chances than any other side in the Premier League this season (27), while their shot conversion rate of 7.3% is their lowest on record in a single campaign in the competition (since 1997-98).

The Toffees also come into this match with just one victory in 10 (D6 L3), while they are without a win in five (D3 L2).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Bournemouth – 53%

Draw – 24%

Everton – 23.1%