Everton won a poor game of football with a freaky goal deep into added-on time at the end of the first half as Dominic Calvert-Lewin made it two goals in two games demonstrating application and persistence to block a clearance back of the keeper into the empty net.
After the deserved point from the game at St.James’s Park, the Blues returned to the Grand Old Lady to go in search of a Premier League double over Burnley. Having won at Turf Moor in mid-December, a win that was the fourth on the trot and a fourth clean sheet, Evertonians were perhaps a tad premature in thinking the club were capable of dealing with the then 10-points deduction.
Obviously, things didn’t pan out the way we all hoped they would but, with the character shown at Newcastle to salvage a point and a chance to record a first double of the season, Blues fans descended on Goodison in as good a heart as could be expected.
Blues boss Sean Dyche was relishing playing back at Goodison after two long distance road trips to Bournemouth and Tyneside when he said, “There’s an energy about playing at home. There certainly should be, and I think there is with the team; there is with the fans. I’m absolutely full of admiration for the fans here because they support, and they travel in numbers all over the place, and they go to the home games in numbers.”
He continued adding, “It’s our job and our responsibility to give them what they want, and that’s winning football matches. The noise from the fans is tremendous at times. I think we’ve had too many (home games) get away from us this season. Early season, I thought we were performing as well as I’ve seen in my time here, but we couldn’t win a game because we weren’t taking our chances. We have to keep the performance levels high, particularly at home, and the fans help with that.”
After impressing as one of the treble substitutions that helped turn the tide at St.James’s Park, Dyche suggested Andre Gomes might feature from the start against Burnley when he noted, “Andre is getting fitter and sharper. It’s only really been a fitness issue with Andre, he has been really unlucky with niggly calf injuries, but he is looking stronger and fitter all the time.”
In the full knowledge that a win would give everyone a massive boost for the run-in to the end of the season, Sean Dyche named his starting eleven: Jordan Pickford, Seamus Coleman (c), James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitalii Mykolenko, Ashley Young, James Garner, Andre Gomes, Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Our visitors Burnley have languished in the relegation places from the time the first league table of the season was produced but, a run of four games unbeaten – three draws and a victory over Brentford has boosted the Clarets as they try to keep belief that somehow they can escape the dreaded drop back down to the Championship.
The ownership and executive at Turf Moor have been extremely understanding of the size of the job that Vincent Kompany is endeavouring to complete and it’s fair to say that many other clubs might have had considerably less patience and parted company with their managers had they been in Burnley’s predicament.
Kompany coached Burnley to a runaway Championship title last season and despite his own extensive playing experience and success, he’s found managing in the Premier League to be a massive challenge. The Belgian commented on the task facing his side saying, “Every Premier League game is tough, there are no easy games. We just have to prepare to the best we can and be aware of their strengths and seize the opportunities we get. We play it like any other Premier League game, there is only so much we can control. We just need to be ready on the day to take on the fight and we have a team that is willing to do that. Playing at Goodison Park, a big atmosphere, these are the type of games that you want to play and that the team will be well up for, I’m sure of.”
Looking to add to the six points gained from their last four games, Kompany named his starting line-up: Muric, Assignon, O’Shea, Esteve, Taylor, Foster, Cullen (c), Berge, Bruun Larsen, Odobert and Fofana.
Our referee on a pleasant sunny if blustery afternoon was Michael Oliver.
A marvellously observed minutes appreciation from another packed house of the late, great Jimmy Husband preceded the kick off of this vital game.
A fairly quiet opening five minutes before Everton won the first corner after a long ball from Pickford found Coleman deep in Burnley territory and Burnley hurried back to deny him anything significant, and the set piece to the back post was overhit and sailed out for a goal kick. DCL was brought down by O’Shea and the free kick from McNeil was equally as overhit as was the first corner. Burnley then wasted a free kick, overhit by Cullen – was the wind causing early issues?
Kompany and Burnley would have been happy with their opening to the game as through the first quarter of an hour, they’d absorbed the early rushes by the Blues and were settling into their game before Branthwaite robbed Fofana in midfield, stepped forward and fired a shot that he screwed wide of the target, but good intent from the young centre back.
Gomes and McNeil combined for the Portuguese to win another corner, this time from the left but, again the set piece failed to produce and the visitors cleared without too much angst. McNeil on a charge through the centre of midfield saw his shot blocked and cleared and the Blues needed to get back quickly as Burnley countered and it took blocks from Mykolenko and then Coleman before Mykolenko put the ball behind for a corner that DCL headed clear.
Young in space saw a cross blocked and when the ball came back to him again via James Garner, he too overhit his next cross – how can such an experienced player make such poor plays? DCL was caught offside trying to get to a ball from Young, and the crowd voiced its disappointment as this wasn’t the first time this afternoon the Blues had been brought up short by the flag of the linesman. A cross by Mykolenko was flicked on to Young by DCL but, his ball for Doucoure was again woeful and again, the crowd expressed their concern.
Mykolenko then got back to block a shot from Foster and clear and as Everton tried to build an attack, DCL was again fouled by Cullen in midfield. The game was lacking real shape as neither side seemed able to gain the upper hand with too many passes going astray. Foster got away from McNeil to cross low into the Everton six yard area where Tarkowski was on hand to clear as the visitors continued to be slightly the better of two poor teams and as we reached the half hour mark, the home crowd were beginning to stress.
Mykolenko and Branthwaite combined to foil first Fofana and then Foster with Tarkowski finally getting the ball clear but, the Everton defence was definitely looking a tad shaky when pressured. Esteve charged forward and was fouled by Tarkowski with referee Oliver waving play on as Bruun Larsen took over, and when the ball went dead, he gave the free kick for the initial foul. The free kick was fired hard towards the far top corner but, just too high, and the next Burnley raid saw Tarkowski pull back on Foster and he was promptly yellow carded, his third in successive games. The resulting free kick saw a collision between McNeil and Larsen with the Everton midfielder needing some treatment while the rest of the players took the chance to take on a drink and get some coaching tips from the respective managers.
Goodison was quiet, too quiet for such an important game but, they were understandably nervous at what they were witnessing… which wasn’t very much from the boys in the Royal Blue if we’re brutally honest. Young conceded a left wing corner to the visitors and Fofana at the near post had a free header that thankfully went straight into the waiting hands of Jordan Pickford.
Into the final five minutes of the half and Everton and their fans were very much in need of something to give them a lift before the break, and a foul on DCL by Esteve gave Andre Gomes a chance to get the ball into the area where Tarkowski went down clutching his jaw with half hearted appeals for a penalty by the crowd completely ignored by referee Oliver and VAR officials who were probably asleep at their monitors.
Branthwaite stepping up won a ball to find Doucoure and on to Mykolenko for a cross that fell to Garner whose shot was blocked and cleared, and then Gomes was booked for a clumsy challenge. A minimum of two added minutes were announced and bizarrely, and I do mean bizarrely, the Blues got the freakiest of goals to take into the break as a clearance by Muric was charged down by Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the ball looped up and over the Burnley keeper to nestle sweetly into the Park End goal. Massive credit to DCL for his persistence in making the challenge so, so late in the half to prove that application and endeavour can earn its just rewards.
Half Time: 1-0
The same 22 players returned to the pitch for the second half, maybe neither manager felt they had anything on their respective benches of sufficient quality to immediately impact upon proceedings.
The early minutes of the second half were pretty much a replica of the first half with both sides failing to stamp any real authority on the game or their opponents. The home crowd were doing their best to lift the team with a hearty rendition of Spirit of the Blues ringing around the Grand Old Lady as the misplaced passes continued and a cross from Bruun Larsen was partially blocked to bounce kindly for Pickford to claim.
Taylor with a deep cross found Foster and his knockdown was cleared by McNeil stooping to head the ball away. The crowd again raised its voice in support – could the team respond in kind? Despite the encouragement from the stands, it was Burnley looking the more likely and it needed an excellent challenge by Branthwaite to keep them at bay at the expense of a well defended corner. Everton responded as a slip by Assignon saw DCL then get away from O’Shea and bring a good save from Muric. Passing the hour mark, Everton came again with Gomes finding Young in space on the right for a cross that saw Doucoure climb but, fail to direct his header on target.
On 61 minutes, Burnley withdrew Fofana in favour of Vitinho. McNeil led a charge, running fully fifty yards and his ball through the middle for DCL was easily dealt with by O’Shea to shepherd the ball back to Muric. Everton were trying to pick up the pace but another offside flag brought a raid to a premature close and the next attack saw Cullen lucky not to see a yellow card for foul on Andre Gomes 35 yards out, and Burnley didn’t construct a wall and didn’t need to as Gomes saw his curling shot sail too high.
On 66 minutes, O’Shea mis-controlled just inside his own half was given a straight red card for bringing down McNeil racing onto the loose ball. A goal behind and a man down, Burnley and Vincent Kompany must feel everything and everybody is against them. He responded to their seventh red card by withdrawing Bruun Larsen and sending on Brownhill and his first involvement was to get forward and take a ball from Cullen and send a shot beyond Jordan Pickford and thankfully the far post too.
Twenty minutes to play, could Everton find a way to put the game beyond the depleted visitors and ease their own relegation troubles in the process… whilst await the outcome of a potential second points deduction review?
DCL moved wide right to take a ball from Young before cutting into the Burnley area and seeing a rising shot go wide of the far post. Again the home support raised the volume of support and Branthwaite again came to the rescue as a Burnley attack got through and he put the ball decisively behind for a corner that Tarkowski headed clear. The game was now opening up and good work by Doucoure eventually led to McNeil sliding a ball down the left channel for DCL and Muric saved his shot from a tight angle.
Burnley won a free kick on the right after a foul by Branthwaite on Foster, the Blues defence getting the set piece clear and we entered the final quarter hour with the game still delicately poised, and changes needed as there were clearly some tired legs out there.
The next Everton attack saw DCL feed McNeil for a shot that was too high as both managers prepared changes for the time remaining. Everton seemed happy to play some keep ball before at a throw-in on 82 minutes, Jack Harrison and Beto replaced Ashley Young and DCL with Burnley sending Rodriguez, Amdouni and Gudmundsson on for Assignon, Taylor and Odobert respectively.
A fine ball through the middle from Andre Gomes released Beto who cut across the front of Berge trying to get the ball onto his right for a shot and appeals for a foul/penalty went unheeded, much to the chagrin of the home crowd. Beto was held back by Berge who was booked and we reached the 89-minute mark and awaiting the fourth official and announcement of a minimum of five added minutes.
Burnley were straining forward and a good challenge by Doucoure saw him find Beto to win a corner off Esteve, that saw Garner go down after exchanging passes with Mykolenko with more appeals for a penalty being ignored. A deep cross by Gudmundsson found Berge and again the Blues looked uncertain at the back and Coleman took no chances in conceding a late corner that Muric came forward for with no success. The five added minutes had gone and finally, Michael Oliver blew for time and the Blues breathed a sigh of relief.
Full Time: 1-0​