Everton 1 – 1 Leeds Utd
Everton face Leeds United at Hill Dickinson Stadium and the game is live on Sky’s Monday Night Football, with the return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin threatening to score a slew of goals against his old club.
David Moyes is able to call upon Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Seamus Coleman, Charly Alcaraz, and Jarrad Branthwaite — all on the bench as part of his squad tonight, the first in a long spell without Jack Grealish. Michael Keane serves the final suspension of his ridiculous 3-game punishment for a silly hair-pull that was never ‘violent conduct’.
Idrissa Gana Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye return as victorious conquerors of Africa following their ultimate victory in the African Cup of Nations Final.
First Half
The final game of the weekend got underway with both teams in their traditional strips, Garner kicking off for the Blues. And the early hoof eventually won an early corner that looked like it should have been attacked but was cleared.
Ndiaye switched ot the left for an early adventure, Mykolenko throwing in long, then crossing in, Barry forcing another corner. Garner’s delivery good but again the ball wasn’t really attacked by anyone in a blue shirt.
Leeds got forward but Struijk lashed the ball well wide. Everton tried to push forward but Mykolenko fell over Garner’s probing forward pass and the ball found its way back, Calvert-Lewin almost embarrassing Pickford.
The game seemed ot have a nice open flow to it; none of this sideways and backwards bolloucks. But worryingly it was Leeds moving the better after a good opening 10 minutes for the home side. Justin drove his shot well wide.
Barry didn’t seem to challenge Struijk but then seemed to twist his knee, needing treatment. Leeds took advantage, cutting through, Bogle getting a corner, Gruev clipping a quck shot just over the crossbar.
Ndiaye got well forward but Barry did not fight to reach the cross. Everton kept trying down the left but the balls in were wasted, and Leeds could come forward, a good cross picking out Calvert-Lewin but he headed it away from goal!
Leeds attacked again, Bogle and Justin getting in each other’s way. McNeil seemed to break up a Leeds attack only to give the ball away. Ndiaye had a chance to release Barry but his pass was poor.
Mykolenko fouled Bogle for his last warning from Simon Hooper. The Leeds free-kick was absolute rubbish, Tarkowski drawing a foul from Ampadu. Barry was released down the left but kicked the ball behind under pressure.
Armstrong switched the play intelligently to the right and Patterson looked to advance but could not keep the ball. Leeds countered and forced the ball from a loose ball, the cross played to Calvert-Lewin who completely missed it, going then all the way over to Justin, who had an easy job to score after Aaronson stepped out of the way.
Another available goal given away, Everton crying over a foul on Ndiaye in the build-up but the Senegal man was trying some African dark arts that did not come off.
Leeds now had all the impetus and kept driving forward, making Everton look very poor as they scrambled to defend, a perfect cross for Calvert-Lewin coming back off the post! And Leeds firing the rebound wide.
Everton tried to respond but Calvert-Lewin dived under the slightest touch from O’Brien. Armstrong won a free kick wide left of the Leeds area, Garner trying for the near post, but poor, although still winning a corner. This time delivered better but it came back out to Mykolenko who mishit his shot.
Everton tried to build another attack but couldn’t keep the ball. Ndiaye tried to do something but ended up giving away his crossfield pass. But he made up for that with a quick ball to Garner who shot but sliced it into the side netting.
Everton forced a turnover but Barry looked like Bambi on Ice as he meekly surrendered forward possession and Everton had to try to rebuild. But a round of boos met the referee’s whistle after an embarrassingly poor first half where Everton had been outplayed by the vistors.
Second Half
Half-time changes from Moyes to alter the course of this game? Yes! Branthwaite and Dewsbury-Hall coming on and changing the formation to a back three, losing a player from midfield.
Everton played some better football down the left but Garner’s cross was repelled and Leeds countered. Everton tried down the right, O’Brien advanced till tackled by Justin. Tarkowski tried to find Barry but he was easily isolated.
Everton worked ut forward again to Barry who felt he had his heel clipped by Struijk, but Simon Hooper did not agree, much to the chagrin of the angry crowd. Barry then body charged Struijk and that was a free-kick to Leeds.
Stach clipped Mykolenko’s ankle and saw yellow. Same fate for Gruev after he dragged Ndiaye to the ground. The half-time changes had stopped the marauding attacks from Leeds but Everton had still done nothing going forward.
They looked painfully incompetent trying to build anything until Gana powered forward and played in Ndiaye but the defender Bornauw read it perfectly and blocked Ndiaye’s threatening left-foot strike.
Leeds countered strongly until Calvert-Lewin encountered Tarkowski and just fell over before Stach shot goalward, saved low down by Pickford. Garner got forward and played in Barry who tried to curl it around Darlow but he launched himself and parried it away before Gana fired a shot at him.
Everton looked to build another attack but Dewsbury-Hall saw the ball stolen off him. Everton tried to build again but it was all far too laboured. With Everton largely restricting Leeds, Moyes went bold and brought on teenage sensation, Tyler Dibling to turn the game.
Dibling was very conservative with his early touches, playing wall passes back to source. He then took on two defenders and lost the ball. But Everton were at least trying to fashion attacks, although Mykolenko’s cross was poor. Dewsbury-Hall failed to get past the first defender.
Ndiaye danced inside, his shot deflected away for a corner. Dewsbury-Hall failed to beat the first defender from the corner. But Everton kept working it forward, Dewsbury-Hall playing in Gana who put in a lovely ball across that was clipped in by Thierno Barry just like Calvert-Lewin past Darlow to equalize.
Some great football saw Gana hit the bar.
Everton kept working the ball forward, into the last 10 minutes. Dibling tried to do a Grealsih, failing to cross when he should have, getting double-teamed. He just could not beat Aaronson.
Everton tried to build again, but Leeds kept their shape and forced them to regroup. Dewsbury-Hall picked out Gana where Dibling had been and he tried at least to cross. A triple change ensued from Farke, trying to hold on to the point Leeds had.
Barry skipped forward with the ball but then played it back to nobody! Pickford then played the ball up to him and he completely missed it!!! Moyes finally saw sense and lined up Beto as Leeds attacked and Okafor fired over.
Great play from Garner and Dewsbury-Hall laid it on a plate for Dibling who incredibly failed to shoot with the goal gapping and instead drove a cross into a defender and away.
Leeds got forward but Buonanotte got it all wrong and Everton pushed up yet again with just 4 minutes to get the winner. Leeds got a free-kick and won a late corner. But it was over everyone.
Leeds mounted a late attack that O’Brien seemed to stop but Buonanotte reocvered and his shot was blocked behind by Tarkowski. The corner was headed behind by Longstaff and that was it. No goals for Calvert-Lewin but one nice finish for Barry.
Everton: Pickford, Patterson (71′ Dibling), Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko, Gana, Garner, McNeil (46′ Branthwaite), Armstrong (46′ Dewsbury-Hall), Ndiaye, Barry (89′ Beto).
Subs not Used: Travers, Coleman, Aznou, Röhl, Alcaraz.
Leeds Utd: Darlow, Bornauw (85′ Buonanotte [Y:90′]), Rodon, Struijk, Bogle, Stach [Y:54′] (85′ Longstaff [Y:90′]), Ampadu, Gruev [Y:55′] (66′ Tanaka), Justin, Aaronson (85′ Okafor), Calvert-Lewin.
Subs not Used: Lucas Perri, Piroe, Nmecha, Byram, Gnonto.
Referee: Simon Hooper