Everton manager Sean Dyche expressed his surprise over Jarrad Branthwaite’s defending for what proved to be David Brooks’ match-winner for Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday. The Cherries substitute netted the only goal of the game when he volleyed in Milo Kerkez’s lofted left wing cross at the back post but just before the ball sails into the net, 6ft 5in centre-back Branthwaite appears to duck his head.

The 22-year-old was Everton’s breakthrough star of last season, winning his first England cap in a 3-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 3 ahead of the European Championships and being subject of two rejected Manchester United bids of £35million plus add ons and £45million plus add ons – neither which came close to Goodison Park chiefs’ valuation of the player – last summer. Branthwaite’s current campaign has been hampered by injuries but after he took his appearance tally for this term to a dozen in Dorset, Dyche claimed to be puzzled by what happened for the game’s decisive moment.

The Blues boss said: “To be fair, unusually for Jarrad, he could head it and I don’t really know his moment, I don’t know, it flew over his head. I think he’s a big lad, Jarrad, so that was a surprise.

“That’s the bit of freedom we’re talking about. They’re doing well at the minute, they’re playing with freedom, you can clearly see that.

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“They knock it in the corners, they play long. They believe in it, they run after it – that’s a compliment by the way, not a criticism.

“The lad comes in and just strikes it. There’s no other thought than just striking it at goal.

“He’s not over-thinking it and that’s what confidence brings. It’s that freedom to just go and play.

“The feeling in the stadium is positive and all those things. That’s what confidence brings.”

A string of impressive stops from Jordan Pickford, denying Dango Ouattara twice and Justin Kluivert had kept Everton in the contest until the 77th minute when Brooks struck. Asked about the England number one’s heroics, Dyche said: “He made a couple of good saves. They’re saves that he’d expect to make because he’s a top goalkeeper.”