Everton 0 – 1 AS Roma
It’s the third test event for Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium but for the many fans who were able to fill it out for the first time, this will be the moment when a whole new era begins in earnest for the boys in Blue.
Or it will be merely a continuation of normal service wth slightly amended playing staff in attendance, demonstrating once again their painful limitations when it comes to playing professional football at the highest level, with Everton’s all-too-familar incompetence when it comes to scoring goals the only meaningful takeaway from a largely wasted summer afternoon.
AS Roma were the invited guests for this final pre-season friendly of 2025, with Everton still a number of players short from the optimum squad size David Moyes says he needs in order to compete with the upper echelons of the Premier League who have taken profilgate spending to a whole new level that still leaves Everton chasing their tails.
David Moyes has just about enough players to field a squad, with the addition of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea to bolster the midfield. Dewsbury-Hall is the fifth signing of the summer for Everton who have brought in Thierno Barry, Mark Travers and Adam Aznou while also making Charly Alcaraz’s loan permanent.
New Everton signings Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (wearing No 22) and Thierno Barry start while Jarrad Branthwaite makes a welcome return after missing the Premier League Summer Series with a minor injury, with Patterson and Armstrong both missing from the squad, presumed injured.
Everton kicked off but Roma soon got possession and looked to attack, El Anouoi shooting low at Pickford.
Everton mounted an attack after 5 minutes and won a corner, brilliantly delivered by Dewsbury-Hall, Tarkowski heading it back across goal and just inches wide. Roma attacked and won a corner that went behind.
Mykolenko went down in pain, probably his groin, as he walked off gingerly. Consequently, Adam Aznou (39) was given his debut after only 10 minutes.
A long ball was contested by Barry but he was double-teamed. Roma came back and Tarkowski had to head it behind, the corner going all the way through.
Play was a bit sloppy, the Blues gifting the ball to Roma a number of times, allowing Roma to attack again. A good ball forward from Alacarz was a fraction too hard for Dewsbury-Hall.
A great move saw Gana play in Dewsbury-Hall, whose pass to feet took Barry by surprise and he could not fashion a shot with the goalkeeper out smartly. Aznou had to block Wesley’s cross at the expense of another corner, Pickford having to stop an own goal.
Dewsbury-Hall tried to get an attack going but Aznou played it backwards. But they got forward against and won another corner, played short, the follow-up delivered straight to Barry’s head, which sustained injury from the move.
A great ball forward from Branthwaite found Dewsbury-Hall running into space but he was soon triple-teamed. Dewsbury-Hall had a great run down the middle but the weight of expectation tripped him up.
Barry was played forward again Dewsbury-Hall, who was being grappled, and Barry shot from distance, not hard enough and parried for a corner. Gana whipped in a great cross but it evaded Everton’s key men as the tempo finally ramped up after 30 minutes.
A loose ball in the Everton area was struck goalward and fortunately deflected off Tarkowski, who headed the subsequent corner away. A brilliant backheel by Ndiaye trapped in the corner set Alcaraz going forward but the move fell apart.
Aznou was getting a tough introduction, being targeted by at least two Roma players if he got the ball on the left. A great pirouette by Gana saw him get the ball to Barry where he could run in to the Roma area but he succumbed to the first challenge.
Everton with some decent approach play again failed to make anything much of it, meanwhile Angelino hammered one onto the bar behind Pickford. Another ball forward found Barry whose cross was put behind for a corner in added time before the break. Another great delivery was cleared.
The referee had let the play go, refusing to blow up for those niggly little contacts that seem to ruin most games these days, but Everton failed to take advantage and they went in 0-0 at the break.
Play resumed for the second half with no changes on either side. A throw-in found its way through to Barry who played in Ndiaye but somehow he smashed it wide when it looked easier to score.
Some nice football saw O’Brien cross but it was Gana Gueye who put it only just wide. At the other end, Christante wacked one high over the ball.
A nice move saw Alcaraz push forwards but Dewsbury-Hall could only cross beyond everyone. Dewsbury-Hall forced Aznou to play a forward cross but it was straight to a defender. At the other end, the ball was driven wide of Pickford’s goal by El Aynaoui.
Everton had more good possession but going forward was too hesitant until O’Brien overlapped and put a cross in. A terrible spell for Everton in defence saw an incredible one-handed save by Pickford. Roma smelled blood and two more attacks both almost brought them a goal.
Cometh the hour, cometh the predictable substitutions: Beto, McNeil and Iroegbunam on for Barry, Dewsbury-Hall, and Gana.
A sustained spell of pressure from Roma saw Branthwaite block it behind for a corner that was defended clear. Garner found Ndiaye who turned and smacked a good one at goal but Silvarr could parry oit back into play. Alcaraz followed up with an absolutely pitiful shot skywards.
Roma mounted another decent attack ad looked all set to score again, but somehow didn’t, again. But it couldn’t last and when Soule got the ball again, he drove it accurately into the corner past Pickford, Branthwaite unable to block him.
From an Everton throw-in, a brilliant cross by McNeil was flicked into the far corner off Alcaraz’s head, only to be saved brilliantly by Svilar, who then wanted treatment for his sore hand.
Everton tried to apply some pressure but Roma broke out and Soule would have scored a second but for Branthwait’s block. Pickford had to make a great save to stop another. The next Roma corner saw three bites of the cherry by Roma players in close order, but none could score.
Everton responded through Iroegbunam and O’Brien won a corner that McNeil took, but no-one could get a clean shot away. More changes into the last 10 minutes.
Ndiaye set up Garner but he wellied it over the bar. Good passing saw McNeil driving forward to play in Beto but he was well marshalled off the ball. And things were played out with Roma coming forward, Pisilli missing a chance to make it two.
A largely unmemorable and meaningless game to grace such an auspicious occasion. If Dewsbury-Hall is to be the catalyst, he is going to have to do it all by himself because the rest of them still don’t really know how to score goals.
Everton: Pickford; O’Brien, Branthwaite (79′ Keane), Tarkowski, Mykolenko (11′ Aznou (80′ Coleman)); Dewsbury-Hall (61′ NcNeil), Gana (62′ Iroegbunam), Garner; Alcaraz (80′ Chermiti), Barry (61′ Beto), Ndiaye.
Subs not Used: Travers, Tyrer, Heath, Onyango.
AS Roma: Svilar, Angelino (89′ El Shaarawy), Christante, El Aynaoui (90′ Pisilli), Dovbyk (80′ Ferguson), Kone, Soule (85′ Cherubini), Hermoso (85′ Celik), Mancini, Wesley (80′ Rensch), Ghilardi.
Subs not Used: Vásquez, Zelezny, Kumbulla, Salah-Eddine, Baldanzi, Romano.