Everton hang on desperately for a point off the Foxes

Leicester City 1 – 1 Everton

Everton travel to the King Power Stadium this weekend for what is an important fixture despite how early it is in the season but Sean Dyche’s squad continues to be stretched.

Roman Dixon is overlooked again with Garner at right-back as Ashley Young starts at left-back. No starting place for O’Brien, Iroegbunam or Armstrong but Sean Dyche does start three newer players in Mangala, Lindstrom and  Ndiaye — a complete change in midfield from the Aston Villa defeat. 

Only eight subs named by Sean Dyche as a statement of continuing staffing issues, with two goalkeepers, and no new names from the Under-21s risked, despite Branthwaite and Patterson scheduled to play for them tomorrow. 

Other players still out injured are Mykolenko, Chermitti, Coleman, Broja and Keane while Idrissa Gana Gueye is away on bereavement leave. 

Everton got things going in all-too-familiar fashion with a Pickford punt that saw the Foxes take possession. Everton mounted an attack that saw Young with an angled cross that was headed back.

Then, good work down the left, McNeil to Ndiaye who crossed it on a plate for Lindstrom to volley home… only he couldn’t hit the target. Next was Doucoure having a go from distance, also wayward.

From a decent midfield position, Young and others played the ball back until they lost it. They tried to build down the right but McNeil was dispossessed and Ayew drove forward to win a corner Ndidi headed over. 

Mangala couldn’t work the ball forward again and it went back to Pickford before he launched it forward and some decent forward play saw Ndiaye earn a free-kick in range for Lindstrom… against the wall. But Ndiaye picked a great ball up off Young and skipped into space before slotting in off the post. A very fine goal!

Everton had to defend and Mavididi could only scoop his shot well over the Everton goal. Everton were going forward well and Docucoure won a corner off  a throw-in, McNeil delivering a bit too deep, Calvert-Lewin could only head it softy back to Hermansen. 

It was end to end with Leicester winning another corner, well headed clear by Calvert-Lewin at the near post. But the visitors remained under pressure after Ndiaye lost the ball, Ndidi shooting low at Pickford. At the other end, Lindstrom smacked a fierce shot at Hermansen. 

Everton resisted another attack, Ndidi putting the ball behind. McNeil tried to get behind Justin. They worked the ball around again, but mostly backward. Ndiaye couldn’t beat Justin either but won a throw-in off him, the play again going back to Pickford. 

It was pretty scrappy stuff as the rain poured down, with many turnovers, the ball again being worked back to Pickford. But when the ball went forward, Calvert-Lewin was found to be inexcusably offside.  

Some decent possession went nowhere and Vardy landed awkwardly on a nothing brush with Keane, but Vardy was in trouble, and Darren England stopped the game. But Vardy recovered and seemed ideally positioned to score as they built a good move that got behind Everton.

Then a bizarre moment as Pickford parried a chipped ball at the near post, it bouncing down one goalline before Pickford gathered it and Vardy tried to push him across the goalline. 

There was more nervy stuff, as the lightning was not enough to see a delay and the rain just intensified. Everton tried to build an attack, Ndiaye almost getting a good cross in. Calvert-Lewin was gifted a bouncing ball but seemed to be fouled by Kristiansen, not given. 

Everton continued to work the ball well, Lindstrom guilty again of profligacy when in a very good position but failing to keep his shot down. Some tremendous persistence by Ndiaye saw him feed McNeil but his shot was dreadful. Justin went down too easily and won a soft free-kick off Ndiaye. And Darren England was taken in by another soft fall from a Leicester player. 

A spell of desperate defending kept the ball effectively away from Pickford first Calvert-Lewin then Doucouure couldn’t fashion anything in the torrential rain. Leicester had another go against the Everton defence but they held firm and Everton went in at the break with their lead intact. 

The thunder and lightning along with continued torrential rain was now deemed to be a threat to life and limb, sufficient to delay the restart for an additional 10 minutes. 

Keane was awarded a yellow card quickly, for a foul wide left that was cleared away. Calvert-Lewin did well in a physical battle with Faes. Everton worked it around to a cross that went over everyone. 

Some great play from the entire team got the ball around to Calvert-Lewin but he was stalled and had to give it to Ndiaye who was driven wide and shot over. But more good Everton attacking tested the Leicester defence but they then had their turn, Ayew shooting just over.

Ayew barged Young from behind, Then Ndiaye and Ayew tangled their feet, and Ayew won the next contest for a free-kick that Everton did well to clear.  Winks then had a shot that curled over the angle. 

Lindstrom did brilliantly to create space from a throw-in but he chose to cross rather than shoot and a defender got a vital touch: Lindstrom’s final involvement with an hour gone. 

Leicester worked the ball around and through the Everton defence but no-one was on the same wavelength as Ndidi, thankfully. An Everton free-kick taken by Keane was easily cleared. Mavididi looked again for an opening but an interception sent the Evverton team on the counter, Calvert-Lewin at the end of a great fast move but not really shooting with that much conviction, although the keeper had to make the save. 

A Leicester free-kick needed defending and the next one won a corner for the Foxes as they threatened, Mavididi crossing cleverly but headed over. The game had opened up considerably and Everton mounted an attack without creating a killer chance. 

The home side were getting desperate now and kept piling on the pressure, a mi-up in the Everton defence giving The Foxes another corner. And from this one, they scored the equalizer, bundled in from close range by Mavididi. Some keepers might have fought their way out to punch such a cross, but not Jordan Pickford.   

Everton won a deep free-kick by the corner flag but it broke down for offside. Buonaotte was harshly shown a yellow card for a tackle that won the ball but McNei delivered the ball straight to Hermansen.

It was now end to end, Calvert-Lewin. too tired to really fight for the ball to create the counter and easily caught offside. Ndidi firing well wide.  Ndiaye was replaced by Iroegbunam. A good fast forward move saw Doccoure cross for Calvert-Lewin but he was criminally the wrong side of Faes, and showed no desire to get the right side of him. 

Everton were looking really tired and continually making mistakes with 10 minutes left to hold on to a point. Leicester broke forward and looked to score but got themselves offside.  Everton could not get clear, Keane with a vital block on a fierce shot from Mavididi. They tried playing out from the back, a crowded area, losing the ball and putting themselves under pressure again. 

It was increasingly frenetic stuff as The Foxes could smell the fear in every Everton touch. as 4 minutes of added time were signalled.  From a Foxes free-kick, Tarkowski gave away a corner when he should have cleared. Pickfrd punched it clear but Everton could not make it into a counter and were under pressure again, until the ball was chipped harmlessly through to Pickford. 

Everton finally got forward and a bouncing ball dropped to Calvert-Lewin but he could not hit it properly. The Foxes had one last push but when Pickford collected the ball, the final whistle went and Everton finally had a point.

Leicester City: Hermansen, Justin, Faes, Okoli, Kristiansen, Winks, Ndidi, El Khannouss (56′ Buonanotte [Y:77′]), Ayew, Mavididi (90′ Fatawu), Vardy (83′ Edouard).

Subs: Ward, Ricardo, Coady, Choudhury, Skipp, De Cordova-Reid.