Match Report

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. His scruffy effort that bobbled past Peter Schmeichel in the third minute of stoppage time against Leicester this evening could end up being priceless in the relegation stakes; it was certainly atonement for one of the two gilt-edged chances he spurned earlier in a game that otherwise looked beyond a Blues side that huffed and puffed but was largely outshone by the more accomplished Foxes.

But then Everton are hovering one place above the bottom three for a reason. Hobbled by a lack of both confidence and a genuine ability to play through opposition teams, Frank Lampard’s side are relying on sheer effort, occasional flashes of individual skill and earning their good fortune accordingly. They had to wait for it but they made the breakthrough in the end.

An almost full-strength Foxes outfit threatened to bury their hosts on the evidence of the opening quarter of an hour but in fairness to Everton and Richarlison himself, they hung in there, steadied themselves and, backed once more by a Goodison crowd that refused to go home empty-handed, they salvaged something from a losing position in a manner in which they proved incapable against Wolves last month.

Also true of struggling sides is inconsistency and so it was that players who have been real difference-makers at times had off days while two players who haven’t yet made the desired impact weighed in with important contributions. Fabian Delph, who stepped into the midfield to deliver a top-class performance last time out against Manchester United, looked to have reverted back to the ineffectiveness that has plagued his time with the club. Allan also had one of his off-days and Demarai Gray, a revelation at the start of the campaign, continues his search for the form that made him one of the standout Premier League signings of last summer in the early going.

Salomon Rondon, meanwhile, came on as a second-half substitute to provide the ideal foil up front for Richarlison who had toiled thanklessly up to that point. The Venezuelan set the Brazilian up for what would be Everton’s first shot on target in the 67th minute and, intentionally or not, played a key part in the equaliser. So, too, did Dele Alli, who made his first appearance since his cameo against Wolves five weeks ago and provided the cross from which Richarlison set Goodison wild in injury time once more.

Any hope that this clash with Leicester would follow the same pattern as the one against United were dispelled very quickly. Brendan Rodgers had deployed his strongest line-up from the players available and the Foxes quickly settled into a slick possession game that opened Everton up in only the first minute.

A dangerous pass into the box that found Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall required an excellent saving tackle from Seamus Coleman but it was merely a warning sign of what would follow four minutes later. That time, James Maddison was allowed to get to the byline off Ricardo Pereira’s pass and cut it back to Iheanacho in front of goal. The returning Yerry Mina’s unorthodox prostrate block denied the striker but the ball merely fell to Harvey Barnes and he tucked a shot in off the post to give the Leicester the lead.

Maddison tested Jordan Pickford with a shot in the 11th from Iheanacho's lay-off and the visitors looked good value for their advantage until Anthony Gordon centred and Richarlison inexplicably miscued in front of goal in the 17th minute. It was an awful miss and it would be another 50 minutes before the Toffees carved out one as clear-cut.

Everton gradually found their feet and eventually caused the visitors a couple of problems towards the end of the first half.

Gray, in the side in place of the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin, ended a well-worked move down the left by whipping in a cross that Richarlison couldn't divert on target and the former Leicester winger missed by inches a couple of minutes later when a short corner routine came to him on the edge of the box but his curling shot bent wide.

The hosts came out for the second half determined to exert some pressure on the Foxes and Alex Iwobi saw a 25-yard attempt drift over while Gray despatched a more wild shot from similar distance into the Gwladys Street End.

Lampard opted for a more attacking posture when he withdrew Allan in the 58th minute and introduced Dele for a rare appearance and Rondon joined him eight minutes later as Gray made way. Rondon challenged for an aerial ball that dropped into the path of Richarlison but Schmeichel parried the Brazilian’s shot it before gathering at the second attempt. And a near-post flick-on by the substitute later in the half almost fell to Dele at the far post but it flew over the former Spurs man's leap.

Leicester then tried to capitalise on the Blues' need to push forward as Maddison had a shot parried away by Pickford, Iheanacho saw an effort deflect over before Delph got enough on two goal-bound Maddison drives to deflect them behind to safety.

Meanwhile, Richarlison, having won a corner on the left for Gordon to take popped up unmarked around six-yards to meet the winger's dead-ball delivery but made a mess of the header and the ball bounced wide off his shoulder, to the anguish of the home crowd.

He would get one more chance, though, as an increasingly fractious contest wore into five minutes' worth of stoppage time. Coleman had a sight of goal but dallied and his shot was blocked but when Everton kept it, the ball was worked back to Dele out wide. He crossed low, Rondon did enough to ensure it by-passed Wesley Fofana and Richarlison scuffed it in such a way that it bobbled past Schmeichel off Pereira’s heel and spun into the far corner.

It was another climatic finish under the lights and the Brazil international would win one last corner for Everton to try and snatch the points but it was no to be and Lampard's men had to be content with a hard-won draw.

While a win would have been massive for Everton in their bid to avoid the drop, four points from games against United and Leicester is a decent return and it makes that disastrous defeat at Burnley all the more costly because the Blues could be breathing very easily with seven matches to go.

As it is, Evertonians will be watching nervously what happens at Turf Moor between the Clarets and Southampton tomorrow evening and then praying their team can pull off a miracle at Anfield this coming weekend. Stranger things have happened…

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

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.

Yerry Mina returns to Lampard's squad for the first time since he was forced to withdraw from the defeat at Newcastle back in February. Mina is deemed fit enough to start but Calvert-Lewin is ruled out through injury.

Donny van de Beek, who hasn't featured since the home game against Wolves five fixtures ago, is on the bench along with Kenny, Holgate, Keane, Doucouré, Gomes, Rondon, and Dele Alli. Jarrad Branthwaite is not selected.

Frank Lampard confirmed that Dominic Calvert-Lewin will miss Everton's next two matches due to a minor quadriceps problem: "Dominic felt a small sensation in his quad in training. We scanned it and it's 10 days to two weeks, unfortunately, so we'll miss him for these next couple of games, for sure. He'll possibly be back for Chelsea."

Tom Davies, Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson are long-term absentees.

The visitors got the game underway and almost burst through, Coleman having to tackle Dewsbury-Hall at the crucial moment before he took a shot. But in the process, Coleman damaged his right knee, only to jump up like a spring chicken after the requisite treatment.

Leicester did well to keep the ball away from Everton and then just waltzed down the right wing and cut in through the Everton defence for a tap-in from Harvey Barnes after the ball came to him off Ineacho. What a dreadful goal for Everton to give up so early in this crucial game.

Everton tried to press The Foxes but they were passing it around like Real Madrid, leaving the Blue shirts to chase shadows in the deepening gloom, while the Foxes' press was far more effective when Everton did secure any turnover and they soon lost the ball again. They worked it to Maddison who had a free shot at Pickford.

Leicester City won the first corner in the 13th minute, it was hacked away by Allan, ceding possession again. Everton tried to build confidence by passing it around at the back but Iwobi took too long and was very lucky that the weak challenge on him was given as a foul.

When Everton finally mounted their first attack, Iwobi fed Anthony Gordon who put in a superb cross that Richarlison somehow completely missed with a hopeless shot back across goal, an absolutely dreadful dreadful miss, Utterly unforgivable.

Leicester resumed their confident play, knocking the all around at will until Iwobi went on something of a run but Roicharlison was not clued in to the upcoming pass. Gray finally got on the ball but Tielemans closed him down quickly to block his shot.

Everton got a free-kick that Gordon took but he floated it over everyone and out of play. Gordon got wide right and ran past the defenders but his cross again was horribly over-hit. Everton's passing was so poor, just shocking.

Iwobi fed Gordon again but this cross was straight at the first defender. No end product. Unfortunately, that still bedevils this passionately enthusiastic young man.

Everton were at least getting forward now but just not taking their chances, as a Richarlison header on a cross from Mykolenko(?) flew well over the bar. Mykolenko did well to win an Everton corner that was worked cleverly to Gray and his beautiful shot just failed to curl into the top corner.

A hugely frustrating half for every Evertonian watching finally came to an end, with Lampard now under massive pressure to turn this dismal mess around in the second half.

After the restart, Everton continued to struggle with the close attention denying them space. But there seemed to be 3 more Leicester players on the field. Richarlison did well to win the ball back but then immediately gave it away. Everton again tried farcically to play out from the back.

Iwobi got a chance to run and saw his chance to shoot with Gordon running off him but it was hopelessly high over the bar. Leicester resumed their tippy-tappy play with plenty of accurate passing that Everton just couldn't get close to until Yerry Mina was a rock that Harvey Barnes could not play through.

Everton constructed a decent forward move but the ball in to Iwobi was difficult and he could only loop it behind. But Everton kept possession until Allan gave it away and Leicester came so close to a second, Pickford coming out to punch it off ____ head.

Another decent piece of forward play saw Gordon feed Gray but his shot was too high. Gordon then did well to win a corner as Everton ramped up the pressure, but there was no threat from the corner as Allan was finally dragged off, Dele Alli the man to change this horrible game.

Felp played a nice ball out to Gray who allowed it to bounce under his foot and out. Shocking. Iwobi again tried but failed to release Gordon down the right. After a period of Everton pressure with nothing to show for it, Leicester started to come back into it, but Dele Alli didn't. He had yet to touch the ball.

Alli finally got involved but the pace was too slow and the move went nowhere. Lampard decided to bring on Rondon, but not before Everton played themselves backwards until Coleman slipped and gave the ball away. Incredibly Leicester failed to capitalize. Rondon came on for Gray.

A forward ball from Rondon was flicked on for Richarlison and his shot was far too easy for Schmeichel to save. At the other end, Maddison got forward and fired a decent shot that Pickford parried away.

Leicester switched the play and rapidly had the ball upfield, threatening Everton. They won a corner and took an age to take it, and should probably have scored but Lookman was offside. Another Everton attack broke down and Leicester attacked at pace.

Richarlison fouled and got a yellow card, needing treatment as the minutes ticked away. Leicester pressed again and drew Pickford out but Fofana headed the corner just inches beyond the angle.

Yerry Mina tried a cleaver dribble in the middle and completely messed up, slicing down his man and earning a stupid booking, just shockingly poor play by Everton.

Mina got a chance to redeem himself with a header that Schmichel saved easily.

Everton won another corner that Gordon planted right onto Richarlison's head and he put it wide!

Everton won a free kick but Gordon's delivery was pathetic, straight to a defender, and Leicester attacked again, Maddision miskicking and failing to score again. Dele Alli, who had done nothing, went for a crazy lunge and a yellow card.

Yerry Mina's knee struck Daka in the head and another long stoppage sucked what little life was left in this game. Gordon with a corner, Rondon won the corner but it flew too high over Dele Alli at the far post.

Another Everton free-kick, headed well wide by Richarlsion as 5 minutes of added time were shown. A chance fell for Coleman and he took an age before missing it.

But Dele Alli then chased down Pickford's long ball, battling to control as he got to the goaline and fired in a low cross, that, Rondon scuffed under pressure and Richarlison completely mishit it, but the ball deflected off the defender's heel and looped past Schmeichel into the net for a very precious Everton goal.

More Everton pressure off a late corner but the unlikely winner would not come and Everton had to be very thankful for a precious point from another utterly abysmal display of shockingly poor football.

Kick-off: 7:45 pm, Wednesday, 20 April 2022 (Not on TV in the UK)

Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Mina, Godfrey, Mykolenko, Allan (58' Dele Alli [Y:86']), Delph, Iwobi, Gordon, Gray (66' Rondon), Richarlison [Y:75'].
Subs not Used: Begovic, Kenny, Holgate, Keane, Doucoure, Gomes, Van de Beek.

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Pereira, Fofana, Evans, Castagne, Tielemans, Mendy (84' Amartey), Dewsbury-Hall, Maddison, Barnes (67' Lookman), Iheanacho (77' Daka).
Subs not Used: Ward, Justin, Soyuncu, Albrighton, Perez, Choudhury.

Referee: David Coote
VAR Michael Oliver

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

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.

The 1-0 win over Manchester United 11 days ago, coupled with Burnley's defeat at Norwich, was a huge result for Frank Lampard's men in the context of their bid to avoid relegation.

Since Everton last played, the Clarets have made the surprising decision to sack manager Sean Dyche and picked up a point at West Ham, meaning that Everton come into the midweek clash with a 3-point cushion and having played at least a game less than all the teams around them.

Yerry Mina returns to Lampard's squad for the first time since he was forced to withdraw from the defeat at Newcastle back in February. Mina has worked his way back to fitness after it was determined that the soft-tissue damage he sustained at St James' Park wouldn't need surgery and it is hoped that the Colombian can now stay fit through the rest of the season to bolster Everton's bid to stave off relegation.

It is not clear if Mina will be fit to start the game after so long out and given his history of breaking down when being rushed back to action too soon but he will be joined in the squad by Donny van de Beek who hasn't featured since the home game against Wolves five fixtures ago.

“Yerry will feature,” Lampard said in his pre-match press conference. “He's in the squad so It's just making sure he's fit enough and also analysing the games we've got left. We've got a game also in four days' time after this, a huge game for us so it's managing that and Yerry because he's been out for a while.

“But it's great to have Yerry back. He's a big personality in the dressing room, he's a big player for us.

“Other than that, it's where we were with injuries,” Lampard concluded, referring to long-term absentees like Tom Davies, Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson.

“Donny's back in contention. He was not well for a period, he had an injury pre-West Ham and he's had a baby girl last week so it's nice to have him back in the squad.”

Fresh from booking their place in the last four of the Europa Conference League, Leicester travel to Merseyside sitting in ninth place in the table with an outside chance of securing a place in Europe next season via the League given that they, too, have games in hand on their rivals above them.

The East Midlands side registered three wins from four in the Premier League in March to re-establish their top-10 credentials and beat Crystal Palace at home on 10th April but they haven't won their travels since coming away from Turf Moor with all 3 points on 1 March and they were vanquished by a last-gasp winner against Newcastle last time out.

Brendan Rodgers is without some important players, with Jamie Vardy, Boubakary Soumare and Wilfried Ndidi all ruled out alongside Ryan Bertrand and Danny Ward but, as Lampard acknowledged in his presser, Leicester's squad remains strong, particularly with the likes of James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and the emerging Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in midfield and ex-Everton player Ademola Lookman out wide.

For Everton, who have been steadily improving in recent weeks, it's simply a case of repeating what they did right against Man Utd, which included keeping a clean sheet, and creating enough chances in attack to fire themselves to another three precious points.

Kick-off: 7:45 pm, Wednesday, 20 April 2022 (Not on TV in the UK)
Referee: David Coote
VAR Michael Oliver
Last Time: Everton 1 - 1 Leicester City

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Godfrey, Mykolenko, Delph, Allan, Iwobi, Gordon, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin

Lyndon Lloyd

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