Blackburn Rovers 1 – 0 Everton
Everton continued their pre-season preparations this afternoon with a trip to Ewood Park to face Championship side Blackburn Rovers, who scored early while Moyes’s men just could not score.
After a decent showing in their first friendly against Accrington Stanley, David Moyes’s side were looking to build momentum before they embark for the United States to play familiar opposition in the Premier League Summer Series, starting next Friday, but it all fell rather flat in the end with the home side giving them a bit of a runaround.
Blackburn Rovers enjoyed a strong 2024-25 campaign, finishing a respectable 7th in the Championship, narrowly missing out on the play-offs. Under the guidance of their new Head Coach, Valérien Ismaël, appointed in February 2025, Rovers will be eager to push for promotion this season.
They’ve been active in the summer, with new appointments in their football operations and recruitment teams, suggesting a focused approach to building on their recent progress. They can be expected to field a well-organised and competitive side this afternoon against Everton at Ewood Park. This is the second pre-season friendly for each side, both having kicked off against Accrington Stanley at the Wham Stadium.
It was interesting that, even though the threadbare squad included a full slate of 11 players to be named on the substitutes bench in Everton’s first pre-season match against Accrington Stanley, David Moyes stuck pretty much with his starting line-up and resisted making wholesale changes that might have seen a lot more youngsters getting a run out.
At least a few more first-team players will be participating this afternoon, with Gueye and Ndiaye having trained all week, and new goalkeeper Mark Travers selected to start in goal, wearing No 12. But star new signing, Thierno Barry is not included as he is still taking a break. And most of the youngsters are on the bench for this one.
This match was to see the debut of Everton’s new away kit in pale mustard, released this week… until someone figured out it might clash with Blackburn’s rather smart gold away kit.
Kick-off: 3 pm BST, Ewood Park, Saturday 19 July 2025
Patterson had a chance to drive forward but he just gave the ball away before Beto was closed down as he wanted to shoot. But Everton were behind after just 7 minutes when poorly exposed at the back, with a man left totally unmarked to slot past Travers.
Ndiaye got a cross in but there was nobody on the end of it at the back post. Alcaraz tried to recycle possession but again Patterson crossed into the mix but picking out no one.
After Patterson poorly overhit another cross, Gana came up with a trademark power shot that flew wide of the Blackburn goal.
Beto was double-teamed but the referee saw nothing wrong as he tried to play on while seated. Another cross in failed to find Ndiaye while at the other end, Branthwaite was called for a foul tackle where he seemed to get the ball; the Everton goal was defended more effectively this time.
Gana did well to force a turnover and Alcaraz got a chance to shoot but his weak shot could only find the keeper. Gueye was then fouled clearing the ball but that was given as a Blackburn corner.
After some very negative backwards play, Everton found a way through with some quick passing between McNeil, Alcaraz and Patterson whose drilled cross was palmed away from Beto. Everton’s first corner was simply shocking from Dwight McNeil.
Branthwaite picked out Patterson with a nice crossfield ball, laid off to McNeil, whose diagonal cross for Beto was read well by the keeper. Patterson did well to win another corner that was this time played short by McNeil and came to nought.
A decent Blackburn corner was headed just over the Everton bar. A lesson to Everton in how proper corners should be taken!
There was bit of handbags in the middle after Gana came through the back of Blackburn’s Travis and he reacted, both players getting yellow cards.
Gana did well to drive through but his inviting pass for Beto was just a foot or two in front of the big striker, and the keeper was out smartly to collect.
Patterson was able to lay a nice ball back for Alcaraz but his first-time shot was blocked.
It had not been an easy first half forEverton who had run up against a tough and hard-working Blackburn side that was aided and abetted by a good old-fashioned homer referee.
The same Everton starting line-up came out for the second half, with no changes. Blackburn continued to chase and harry while Everton were far too happy to just pass the ball backwards or loss possession with poor control of the ball, Alcaraz particularly at fault.
Gana gave Ndiaye a chance to go forward and he played in Beto who spun but could not keep his shot away from the keeper. Branthwaite was next to stride forward but, oh dear, what an awful forward pass, straight out for a goal-kick!
Ndiaye went on a dazzling run, his cross winning a corner. Garner took this, as did the Blackburn keeper. McNeil fed Ndiaye and he dug out a shot at the keeper.
Approaching the hour mark and a slew of changes, 8 for Blackburn, including their magnetic keeper, 3 for Everton.
The home side looked to set up a quick second, getting to the byeline and putting the ball right across the mouth of the goal.
Everton finally got forward and some nice interplay looked to set up the ball for O’Brien but his cross-cum-shot was cleared away. Better play from McNeil and Alcaraz, saw the ball come to O’Brien, whose decent shot appeared to be deflected into the side netting, but no corner.
McNeil found Mykolenko in lots of space but he wanted too much time and could only get a corner that was cleared. Beto had a soft header on the follow-up that was easily saved. Two more changes from Moyes on 70 minutes.
Heath was lively, playing a wider role than Ndiaye, but he too struggled with an end product. Armstrong was unlucky to be called for a foul in the Everton dee, the free-kick superbly delivered by Pickering, heading for the top corner, producing an excellent save from Mark Travers. 10 minutes left and Moyes made probably his last change.
Armstrong drove forward and tried to play in Chermiti, the move winning a corner that Armstrong ballooned far too high to be effective. Armstrong again drove forward, his ball not quite right for Justin Clarke.
With nothing seemingly working Jenson Metclafe resorted to a hopeful strike from all of 30 years as the final minutes ticked away. While at the other end, a great low shot looked like it might catch out Travers but he got down very well to stop a second goal, and that was it, a loss in their second pre-season game.
It had certainly been a stern and demanding test for the Everton players, with Blackburn sharper and more determined in the tackle, the Blues endemically incapable, it seems, of scoring against weaker opposition on paper.
Everton: Travers, Patterson (59′ Keane), O’Brien, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Garner, Gana [Y:40′] (59′ Armstrong), Alcaraz (70′ Clarke), McNeil (79′ Metcalfe), Ndiaye (59′ Heath), Beto (70′ Chermiti).
Subs not Used: Tyrer, Finney, Thomas, Iroegbunam, Onyango.