It would be an exaggeration to suggest Ross Barkley came off the bench to inspire Everton to reach the last eight of the Capital One Cup. This was a game not even Barkley’s inspirational qualities could light up. Without the introduction of the England player it might have finished earlier, that is all. Everton were sleepwalking to a defeat in normal time before their best player revived the crowd and the game sufficiently to take it to extra time and a penalty shootout, which Norwich lost when Wes Hoolahan and Nathan Redmond failed to convert their kicks.
Even with Barkley on the pitch Norwich could have stolen it in the closing minutes of normal time, after Everton had recovered from Sébastien Bassong’s opening goal, but the reserve goalkeeper Joel Robles kept out late efforts from Martin Olsson and Lewis Grabban to keep the score level. Robles also produced the only save of the shootout to deny Hoolahan and, with Everton recording four goals from four attempts, the contest ended when Redmond put Norwich’s fifth penalty over.
“I’m a bit disappointed with the result, we controlled the game and showed our quality on the ball,” Alex Neil said. “We might have had something but their goalkeeper made a fantastic save from Grabban in the 90th minute.”
Roberto Martínez did not disagree. “I thought Joel’s save was the moment of the game,” the Everton manager said. “Norwich deserve a lot of credit for the way they played but we created more chances when Ross came on.”
After a soporific half-hour that featured more passes being played straight into touch than seemed feasible for a contest between Premier League sides the game came to life from the home crowd’s point of view when Bassong passed the ball straight to an opponent by way of a change. Tyias Browning lost no time in releasing Romelu Lukaku, who delayed his shot by a fraction and ended up allowing Declan Rudd to save an unconvincing effort with his legs.
Norwich were livelier than their opponents in the first half, showing a neater touch on the ball. So when they took the lead, five minutes into the second half, no one could say they did not deserve it. Everton were sluggish in clearing a Redmond cross following a corner and, when Gary O’Neil sent it back into the danger area, all it took was a touch from Bassong on the six-yard line to divert it past the goalkeeper.
The grumbles as Everton left the field at half-time intensified as they continued to misplace passes and, when Kevin Mirallas did find space for a shot just before the hour, he put it well wide.
It was clear from the reaction to Barkley’s touchline exercises that the crowd wanted him on the pitch, and Martínez wisely did not keep supporters waiting, sending him on with Gerard Deulofeu for the last half-hour. Everton’s intensity improved immediately, as if they had suddenly started to take the game seriously, and within six minutes, shortly after Lukaku saw an effort cleared off the line, they were level. Mirallas again found space on the left, for a low cross adroitly turned in by Leon Osman. With a Grabban header bringing a sharp save from Robles at the other end the game was now producing an excitement missing from the first half, particularly as Deulofeu was injecting some much-needed pace.
Barkley set up the first clear chance of extra time, sending Mirallas bearing down on goal with an inch-perfect pass that deserved a better finish from the winger, who pulled it wide with only Rudd to beat. The remaining half-hour was eventful but scoreless, culminating in a last-gasp effort from Barkley, who skied it. It was not quite his day but he did enough.
