Getting a 3-1 lead against Manchester City after being totally outplayed in the first half is no mean feat... but letting that slip with two goals given up, including another one right at the death, means it has to be regarded as a game Everton should have won.
But the second half was exciting for once, so points are probably on the high side...
Jordan Pickford - 6
Beaten three times by high-quality finishes, and he did come out to punch a corner clear.
Jake O'Brien - 7
Solid defending and a brilliant header from Garner's corner.
James Tarkowski - 6
Tarky was his normal narky self. I think he is a linchpin to the defence.
Michael Keane - 5
Came very close to a red card with a reckless tackle but was okay otherwise.
Vitalii Mykolenko - 7
Some important defensive interventions, but he was less effective going forward.
Tim Iroegbunam - 8
Some tremendous work done in the absence of Gana Gueye.
James Garner - 7
Garner was closer to his best with good set-piece deliveries -- one absolutely perfect.
Merlin Rohl - 9
Huge energy, he was all over the pitch and worked extremely hard, especially to drive forward and create the third goal, even though his shot was terrible.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - 6
Did his best to inject energy and drive going forward but the one shot he had was poor and things didn't really click for him.
Iliman Ndiaye - 5
Another exhibition where he flatters to deceive and achieves precisely nothing in terms of end product, spurning not one but two glorious chances to score... but everybody loves his jinking runs.
Beto - 6
He was a bit exposed by the high skill level of the opponents, making him look more clumsy than usual.
Substitutes:
Thierno Barry - 8
Redeemed himself from earlier sins against the club with two crucial goals that he took well. And he was a decent foil that gave the City defenders more to think about.
Nathan Patterson - 5
Late sub, not sure he touched the ball.
Charly Alcaraz - 7
Late sub, he did his best to move things forward when he got the ball.
The Manager:
David Moyes - 3
To surrender a win to yet another last gasp goal is unforgivable. He got lucky this week with his default Beto - Barry switch but failed to make sure of the game when we had a 3-1 lead.
Reader Comments (15)
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2 Posted 04/05/2026 at 23:03:14
There is nothing a manager can do to impact that lack of engagement in the opposing player shooting.
3 Posted 04/05/2026 at 23:07:13
Don’t be an absolute idiot
Let’s have defenders who defend and Ndiaye who does not believe his own hype and scores.
4 Posted 04/05/2026 at 23:09:22
5 Posted 04/05/2026 at 23:14:34
6 Posted 04/05/2026 at 23:20:02
7 Posted 04/05/2026 at 23:34:10
Gutted but tonight's result, I had put money on a 2-1 win for us as I was sure we'd get a no pressure Moyes result.
8 Posted 04/05/2026 at 23:35:24
On the downside, the additional six minutes somehow became eight and Doku went and ruined a terrific evening. Maybe a shot at the Europa League is not impossible if the Blues keep on performing like they did tonight!
9 Posted 04/05/2026 at 23:48:42
10 Posted 04/05/2026 at 23:48:57
I'd take tonight's performance, the show of togetherness over what we've had over the past t or more years.
Anyone who wants Moyes out needs to re-evaluate, we must allow him to see out his last year at very minimum, he is taking us up levels from where we have been.
11 Posted 04/05/2026 at 23:49:49
12 Posted 04/05/2026 at 00:23:42
For me Mykolenko was man of the match. Defensively he was awesome and a delicious ball to play Beto in.
Iboegbunam's tacking was excellent and got the fans fired up, it's a shame he can't use it to start a counter though.
Ndiaye could have had a hat trick today, poor finishing cost us.
A great second half by Rohl, especially going forward.
No heroics from Pickford today, flapped at every cross and no way near stopping any of the goals.
Tarkowski and Keane did ok, except for being asleep for Haaland's goal.
Can Dibling's star fade any further? A guy who can't get picked in his own position, is chosen ahead of him, in his position.
Michael, you're starting to sound like Murray Walker, your dislike of Moyes is almost comic. If you want to be taken seriously, you might want to dial it back a bit.
13 Posted 04/05/2026 at 00:34:03
Not forgetting our progress to mid table of course
14 Posted 04/05/2026 at 00:38:33
Blathering lunacy.
The Blues absolutely played their hearts out and were thoroughly prepared, well-positioned and totally up for it. The manager's job.
Moyes' lineup changes, Merlin and Tim, got a 9 and an 8. His earlier-than-usual sub of Barry? Worked out perfectly. His defensive subs for tiring defenders when we were still leading? Exactly what was needed.
And the lead we couldn't hold? Beaten for goals by two of the best players on the planet.
Blaming Moyes is just plain ridiculous.
15 Posted 04/05/2026 at 00:49:16
Regarding today's game, City are obviously a top team and were expected to dominate us. The first half went as how I would have expected but the turn around in the second half was unbelievable. You have to give the manager some credit for that. We hassled them and created lots of chances. You cannot blame the manager for missed chances, some sloppy defending and a cracking goal.
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1 Posted 04/05/2026 at 22:58:29