Everton vs Bournemouth
The Premier League Summer Series returns to the United States after it was cancelled last year. It is a week-long pocket tournament featuring four Premier League sides Everton, Bournemouth, Manchester United, and West Ham United, whose games will be played at MetLife Stadium, Soldier Field, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The winner of this competition will get a nice trophy to bring home, which should give them confidence ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
First up is the match between Everton and Bournemouth at the MetLife Stadium, and the Premier League Summer Series 2025 odds favour the Cherries to beat the Toffees. Andoni Iraola’s side is fresh from a 2-1 win over Hibernian. In contrast, David Moyes’ men have yet to win this preseason, following a 1-1 draw against Accrington Stanley and a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.
SBOTOP football fans in New Jersey are in for a huge treat, as they will get their fair share of Premier League Summer Series 2025 highlights this Saturday evening.
Talking Points
Everton could feature marquee summer signing
Everton have already played two preseason matches, and they have yet to feature their marquee signing, Thierno Barry. Barry just reported to Finch Farm yesterday, and there’s a huge chance he’ll finally suit up for the Toffees when they take on the Cherries.
Barry was Villarreal’s focal point on offence last season, as he recorded 11 league goals and four assists. The 22-year-old is far from a finished article and will play for his fifth club in as many seasons, and it’ll be interesting to see how he’ll pan out in the bright lights of the Premier League.
What makes Barry stand out is his predatory instincts in the final third, as he works tirelessly to be in a great position to score. Only three players to play at least 2,000 minutes in La Liga last season averaged more big chances per 90 than Barry (0.97) or more non-penalty xG per 90 (0.45). Barry also ranked 10th in La Liga for total shots (71) and second for first-time shots (57).
Listed at 6’5″, he is also an aerial threat and could give rival centre-backs all they can handle. He’s not yet great at linking up play with his fellow forwards, but Barry can brush up on that at Everton.
Barry will compete for minutes alongside Beto and Iliman Ndiaye, two of Everton’s top scorers last season. He can make a strong case by helping Everton win the Premier League Summer Series.
Bournemouth have a much different squad
Bournemouth will find it difficult to outdo themselves this season, as they lost several key players this time. They sold Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez to Liverpool, and Mark Travers to Everton. Moreover, the Cherries could be tempted to sell Illia Zabarnyi this summer, with PSG named as one of his top suitors.
In their 2-1 win against Hibernian, Phillip Billing and Romain Faivre were on the scoresheet, and more is expected from them this upcoming season. The same can be said for the likes of Julian Araujo, Marcos Senesi, Adam Smith, Tyler Adams, Lewis Cook, David Brooks, Alex Scott, Ryan Christie, and Marcus Tavernier.
Furthermore, Evanilson, Dango Ouattara, Justin Kluivert, and Antoine Semenyo are expected to pick up where they left off last season after scoring 39 league goals combined. Djordje Petrovic will also compete with Neto for the starting goalie spot after arriving from Chelsea this offseason.
History
The Premier League Summer Series was first held in 2023. The idea was to bring the Premier League closer to American football fans, expanding the league’s reach and fanbase. During that year, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Brighton, Fulham, and Brentford were invited to compete in the pocket tournament held at the Lincoln Financial Field, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Exploria Stadium, Red Bull Arena, and FedExField. With two wins and one draw, Chelsea won the inaugural edition of the competition since they had the best record. Aston Villa were the runners-up, while Newcastle United and Brighton finished third and fourth.
Believe it or not, Saturday marks only the 23rd meeting between Everton and Bournemouth. Both teams have 10 wins each and two draws. However, Bournemouth are on a four-game winning streak against Everton, including a league double last season (3-0 aggregate tally).
The Cherries finished ninth in the standings with 56 points, level with 10th-seeded Brentford. And, at one point, Bournemouth made a run for a European football berth. On the other hand, the Toffees finished 13th in the table with 48 points after cycling through two head coaches.
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