Season 2021-22 Opinion Match Reports
Match Reports
Accounts from matches by our editorial team and featured correspondents
Blues humbled in all-too-familiar fashion on final day
Michael Kenrick : 22/05/2022
Everton reverted to type in the final match of a mostly tortuous Premier League campaign knowing they were safe from relegation, with a dreadful display that showed little resistance at Arsenal.
Salvation Achieved on a Night for the Ages
Lyndon Lloyd : 19/05/2022
Just like that “That Game” in 1994, Everton refused to lie down and over 45 minutes that are now irrevocably woven into Goodison folklore, amid an atmosphere that somehow surpassed those that have stunned neutral observers in recent weeks, they dug deep and pulled off a thrilling comeback victory.
What a Night!
Paul Traill : 20/05/2022
Lyndon Lloyd accompanies Paul Traill to become part of an incredible night at Goodison Park as Everton secure Premier League survival following a desperately fraught season.
Indescribable
Dave Williams : 20/05/2022
There was the fear that there would be a sting in the tail with a Palace equaliser but we managed added time very well and the scenes at the end really had to be seen and heard to be believed
SAFE!!!
Michael Kenrick : 19/05/2022
Everton came back from a dreadful 2-0 deficit against Crystal Palace to win an incredible second half and secure Premier League survival, with tremendous scenes of celebration all over the field.
We were never going to do it the easy way, were we?
Paul Traill : 16/05/2022
We really didn’t get the rub from this one, either with officiating decisions or with luck. Things could have been so different.
The most miserable coach trip ever
Dave Williams : 16/05/2022
A long trip from the South West to witness the Brentford game at Goodison Park
Blues hopes mangled in unmitigated red card disaster
Michael Kenrick : 15/05/2022
Everton went ahead early through a flukey goal claimed by Calvert-Lewin, only to have Branthwaite and then Rindon dismissed as they twice gave up the lead to Eriksen's brilliant orchestration.
Toffees inch closer to safety with tepid draw at Watford
Lyndon Lloyd : 11/05/2022
Everton didn't allow a disappointingly flat display to turn into disaster but this goalless draw did reek of an opportunity missed
A good away point from an absolutely lousy game
Michael Kenrick : 11/05/2022
Tentative, nervy, pragmatic... or just utterly lacking in the required desire, effort, guile and quality to beat a crap team who were already relegated? A sadly typical very winnable Everton game that only Everton would be incapable of winning.
High Spirits – Travelling Blues' devotion finally rewarded with big result at Leicester
Lyndon Lloyd : 08/05/2022
Ask anyone who has travelled to watch the Toffees in any era of living memory and they will no doubt say they have never seen anything like the show of support put on by Everton's fans at the King Power Stadium and the players responded to lift the club out of the relegation zone
Everton United
Paul Traill : 08/05/2022
With the way Saturday’s results went, you sensed Everton had an opportunity, and boy did they take it. What an effort. What a performance. What a day
A tremendous win on the road underlines Everton's improving form
Michael Kenrick : 08/05/2022
The travelling Blues fans helped Everton to secure only their second win on the road this season as Frank Lampard's gameplans are finally having the desired effect.
Renewed hope amid the Blue smoke as Chelsea are vanquished at Goodison
Lyndon Lloyd : 01/05/2022
Heroics at either of the pitch gave the Blues the edge they needed to eke out a 1-0 victory over the reigning European Champions, one that brought them to within two points of Burnley and Leeds United above them in the table and kept survival in the hands of Frank Lampard and his players.
Goodison Park. You just can’t beat it.
Paul Traill : 02/05/2022
Savouring that win in the Gwladys Street was something else. You just can’t beat the Old Lady when she's anything like that. We’re going to miss this special place.
Brilliant Pickford saves ensure a mammoth Everton win
Michael Kenrick : 01/05/2022
With games left getting fewer and the precipitous gap above the Bottom 3 getting wider, Everton produced a massive victory at Goodison Park against Frank Lampard's old club, Chelsea, thanks to some brilliant saves from Jordan Pickford.
Everton fail to take key chances after frustrating Liverpool
Michael Kenrick : 24/04/2022
Everton took on Liverpool at Anfield looking to repeat the fine victory they secured under Carlo Ancelotti on their last visit, only for the scoreline to be reversed after holding out for more than an hour.
Never-say-die spirit earns Richarlison and Everton late reward
Lyndon Lloyd : 20/04/2022
Richarlison has scored far better goals for club and country but, in the final reckoning of this tortuous season, he might not score many more important ones than his 50th for Everton.
Blues dig out a dramatic point from another dreadful display
Michael Kenrick : 20/04/2022
Everton are back at Goodison Park under the lights to host Leicester City with the Blues hoping to register successive victories for the first time since August.
Everton Ride the Goodison Effect Once More to Bolster Survival Prospects
Lyndon Lloyd : 09/04/2022
Much has been made of the mentality of the Blues’ players as they have sunk like a stone to the depths of the table since making that fine start to the campaign way back in August but it is to their enormous credit that despite a short turnaround from the pain of a shock defeat at 9:30pm on Wednesday evening to a 12:30 kick-off today they managed to turn in a terrific performance and grind out three vital points.
Gordon's deflected goal gives Blues a very precious win
Michael Kenrick : 09/04/2022
It was a massive massive day at Goodison Park and a Gordon's deflected shot was the only goal in Everton's lethargic struggle to stay in the Premier League.
Richarlison Efforts in Vain as Everton Toss Away Vital Points
Lyndon Lloyd : 06/04/2022
If Frank Lampard had half a dozen more players with Richarlison and Gordon’s attitude, the club might not be staring at the very real threat of relegation. There again, you can have all the spirit in the world but if the players around you simply aren’t good and are making catastrophic mistakes on a weekly basis, it’s going to be very hard to win matches in the Premier League
Farcical defending sees Everton self-destruct
Michael Kenrick : 06/04/2022
Everton travel to Turf Moor for what is being widely billed as yet another "must-win' game, but it's really all about getting a result to turn the soul-destroying tide of successive defeats dragging the Blues down to the edge of the relegation zone.
Crucial mistakes from the usual suspects consign Everton to another away defeat
Michael Kenrick : 03/04/2022
Crucial mistakes undid what was a far better performance than we have seen of late on the road from Everton, but a soft Holgate free-kick, a dreadful Iwobi giveaway, and a foolish lunge by Keane for a second yellow tell the sorry story of yet another away defeat for Frank Lampard.
Trying to find some balance
Paul Traill : 20/03/2022
Away from Goodison Park, Everton need to find some character and not shrink when things don’t go to plan. They have to stick at it better. We know this, it’s nothing new.
Everton capitulate after high-energy start
Michael Kenrick : 20/03/2022
Everton tore into Crystal Palace with tremendous energy and intent for the first 15 minutes, but crucially failed to score in this FA Cup Quarter-Final before they lost Townsend and gave up 4 far too easy goals.
One of the classics
Paul Traill : 18/03/2022
An astonishing effort from Everton full of grit. And the scenes at the end of the game were incredible. You could have stayed there and sung and clapped all night. It was magical.
Goodison Reaches Peak Bear-Pit as Everton Triumph Against the Odds
Lyndon Lloyd : 17/03/2022
This famous old ground has played host to some raucous atmospheres but surely never has the Old Lady quaked to such a ferocious din and for as long as it did tonight.
An indescribable night of utter madness sees Everton finally win
Michael Kenrick : 17/03/2022
Everton ended a dismal four-match losing streak in dramatic style after they had been reduced to 10 men with Allan harshly dismissed after a protestor had delayed the game for 8 minutes, securing himself to the gaolpost against Newcastle United under the lights at Goodison Park.
Running Out of Road
Lyndon Lloyd : 13/03/2022
Goodison Park isn’t a fortress against fear, nor can it compensate for basic failings on the pitch. Evertonians have brought their passion and their voices but for this grand old team to be rescued from the catastrophe of relegation, it's now going to take the players digging deep themselves
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so much squandered
Michael Kenrick : 13/03/2022
Everton return to Goodison Park for a must-win game that they lost through abject negativity epitomized by Doucouré's incessant backward play.
Capitulation
Lyndon Lloyd : 07/03/2022
From the standpoints of morale and goal difference alone, this has the potential to be a costly result. Frank Lampard's biggest job this week could simply be keeping morale up
Everton collapse in a gut-wrenching catastrophe
Michael Kenrick : 07/03/2022
Everton travel to face Tottenham Hotspur in the televised Monday night game.
Rondon goals carry Blues past stolid non-leaguers
Michael Kenrick : 03/03/2022
Two goals from Salomon Rondon saw Everton ultimately get past Boreham Wood into the FA Cup 6th Round at Goodison Park but it was hard work.
If that’s at the other end of the pitch…
Paul Traill : 27/02/2022
VAR adds insult to cruelty as spirited Blues fall to City
Lyndon Lloyd : 26/02/2022
Whether through incompetence or something more worryingly sinister, Chris Kavanagh was once again at the centre of bitter controversy at Goodison Park where Everton were denied the chance to snatch a deserved point for their efforts against League-leaders, Manchester City
When you're down at the bottom, you just don't get the breaks
Michael Kenrick : 26/02/2022
Frank Lampard's inconsistent side take on Premier League leaders Manchester City in the evening televised game at Goodison Park.
Ever Deeper Away-Day Blues
Lyndon Lloyd : 19/02/2022
Not for the first time in recent years, the root of Everton's ills lies in a void of a midfield that is cripplingly short on options and continues to be let down by one of its most high-profile signings.
Shocking lack of quality painfully exposed by Saints
Michael Kenrick : 19/02/2022
Everton started well against Southampton but the lack of quality from both sides in a poor first half was rectified by the home side while the visitors went from bad to worse, giving up two soft goals in a very painful defeat.
You played your part
Paul Traill : 13/02/2022
"From minute one, right until the end, it was electric. Well done everyone."
This is Everton
Lyndon Lloyd : 12/02/2022
In a cauldron of noise, banners and flags, the Blues' players rose to the occasion to beat Leeds United in convincing fashion at Goodison Park
A sea of change follows an extra week from Lampard's team
Michael Kenrick : 12/02/2022
Everton returned to Goodison Park to secure an excellent win over Leeds United demonstrating the effect of Frank Lampard’s strong management to quickly atone for Tuesday’s disappointing performance against Newcastle.
Lampard has the scale of his task laid bare
Lyndon Lloyd : 08/02/2022
A harrowing defeat on Tyneside will have left the new manager under no illusions as to how difficult this job might be in the short term
Everton cannot cope with aggressive Newcastle pressing game
Michael Kenrick : 08/02/2022
Everton took the lead at Newcastle United but the home side were back in it immediately and denied Everton any time and space on the ball, destroying any lingering confidence from the weekend win over Brentford.
Great to see our players expressing themselves
Paul Traill : 06/02/2022
Paul Traill on what was a fun afternoon at a much happier Goodison Park
An afternoon of raw emotion and a club re-born
Dave Williams : 06/02/2022
This was Goodison Park at its best – no-one has any great affinity with Frank apart from maybe thinking he was a great player – but the raw emotion, hope, faith which poured out for what was, let’s face it, otherwise a low-key 4th round cup-tie against a very ordinary Brentford, was quite remarkable – and it will stay with me forever.
Lampard sows hope and belief with brilliant debut win
Lyndon Lloyd : 05/02/2022
He may only have had five days with his new charges but Frank Lampard, imbued with an inner confidence of his own, has visibly restored an enormous amount of self-belief in Everton’s players and it coursed through this rousing FA Cup performance, one which ultimately overwhelmed Brentford and emphatically steered Everton into the fifth round.
Goals galore to open the Lampard Epoch
Michael Kenrick : 05/02/2022
Frank Lampard took charge of his first match as Everton manager, and oversaw a solid win against Brentford to put his new charges into the FA Cup 5th Round draw.
Random acts of kindness
Paul Traill : 23/01/2022
At full-time, I was pretty dejected. I felt we had a good go and deserved better. It's pretty deflating to lose in that manner. I felt the players deserved more.
Ferguson gets fight but little finesse from struggling Everton
Lyndon Lloyd : 22/01/2022
A repeat of the passion and the high-octane football that delivered Duncan Ferguson a famous win against Chelsea two years ago wasn't enough today to earn a badly-needed win
No bounce for Ferguson as Everton are outplayed
Michael Kenrick : 22/01/2022
Duncan Ferguson's return to the dugout as caretaker manager got Everton playing a bit better but they were ultimately outplayed by a more tenacious Aston Villa at Goodison Park.
This Must Surely Be the End
Lyndon Lloyd : 15/01/2022
Benitez’s time at Everton has been up for a while now; that Farhad Moshiri has waited this long to end this farce has merely sacrificed precious points and prolonged the fans’ frustration. The former Liverpool boss surely cannot survive this.
Canaries Catastrophe the ultimate Benitez Humiliation
Michael Kenrick : 15/01/2022
A dreadful first half for Everton at Carrow Road made the second-half challenge ultimately impossible despite a brilliant Richarlison strike against the Premier League’s bottom club Norwich City.
Blues make very hard work of the FA Cup 3rd Round
Michael Kenrick : 08/01/2022
It's the 3rd Round of the FA Cup and Everton are on the other side of the Pennines, up against Hull City at the MKM Stadium.