Everton 1 – 0 Sporting CP
Everton’s final pre-season friendly took place at Goodison Park this afternoon with European opposition, Sporting CP, from Portugal: kick-off 3 pm BST.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was declared fit enough to start!
Demarai Gray is not expected to take part as he continues to negotiate a protracted move away to Fulham – next weeks visitors when the new Premier League season kicks off.
While potential new signing Youssef Chermiti, Sporting’s 19-year-old striker, is in a similar position with his protracted move to Everton meaning he is unlikely to play for either side today. While Tom Cannon appears to be edging closer to a loan deal with Preston North End.
Other absentees include Seamus Coleman and Dele Alli who are each recovering from surgery last season. While Jean-Philippe Gbamin remains mysteriously invisible.
Both Dwight McNeil and Arnaut Danjuma have sustained injuries which also keep them out of this game.
A rather damp Goodison Park saw Iwobi kick things off for the Blues and they looked pretty bright with a number of decent forays and corners in the first 5 minutes.
Gyökeres cut down the right for Sporting and crossed for a perfect set-up that Gonzales squandered somewhat, scooping his shot at an open goal a foot over the bar. Another attack had the nerves jangling as the Everton defence were too easily opened up.
Everton deserved a goal when Young fed Iwobi in space and his cross was wellied by Doucouré, parried up in the air to Calvert-Lewin who had the whole goal to aim at but let it bounce off his head and straight to the keeper.
Sporting went up the other end and almost scored, Gyökeres’s shot being well stopped by Pickford. And Everton went back up the Park End but Onana’s cross was easy for the Sporting keeper to gather. Gueye later had to have his usual utterly useless shot — well off target.
Just before the break, Doucouré’s shot was blocked by the hand of a defender going to ground and Calvert-Lewin executed the penalty kick superbly to give Everton the lead at half-time.
Sean Dyche made a couple of changes for the second half. Maupay was soon in action, heading a cross high and wide of goal that might have been converted by Garner running in behind him.
Onana had a good overlap down the left but was pushed a bit painfully onto the cinder path while Maupay and then Garner each had a little set-to with their respective markers from the visiting side. All a little bit unsavoury…
A great piece of play followed a poor Garner free-kick, the ball getting worked to Onana who smacked a tremendous shot onto the face of the post with the keeper well beaten. Maupay was then booked for catching the player when he challenged for and won the ball.
Onana was next to be booked for a poor tackle from behind, scything through his man. Pickford was very grateful when a clever shot hit the top of his post and bounced back kindly to him.
Gyökeres floored Tarkowski with a crunching challenge that did for his left knee in a cruel incident near the end, and there were lots of concerned Everton staff as he finally walked off gingerly after extensive treatment, to be replaced by Michael Keane.
Keane played a nice through-ball to Maupay but it wasn’t the right side for him to pick it up. Everton had to withstand a couple of tricky corners in added time, and a tremendous rising strike that Pickford may have got his fingertip to.
So ended a pretty strongly competitive game that signalled an undefeated pre-season campaign for Everton – as long as Tarkowski is not too badly injured.
Everton: Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski (88′ Keane), Godfrey (46′ Branthwaite), Young (65′ Mykolenko), Iwobi, Onana [Y:78′], Doucoure (79′ Gomes), Gana (74′ Dobbin), Garner, Calvert-Lewin (46′ Maupay [Y:75′]).
Subs not Used: Virginia, Lonergan, Hunt, Onyango.
Attendance: 28,322