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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Adam Jones

Everton left to wonder 'what if' but Carlo Ancelotti expected reality over Champions League hopes

It wasn't pretty, it wasn't brilliant. In fact, it was a match Everton easily could, and perhaps should, have lost.

The Blues welcomed a fellow challenger at the top of the table to Goodison Park, one they had been victorious over just a few weeks ago, and faced a tough task to repeat that feat on their own soil.

The second-half in particular was a tough one to watch for those Evertonians forced to sit at home, not able to shout on their players from the stands.

How they desperately needed those voices for encouragement as Leicester continued to pepper the goal in that second 45 minutes.

In the end, the visitors got their goal. Not down to a piece of brilliance, like the Blues did to take the lead through a fantastic first half strike from James Rodriguez, but in pretty sloppy circumstances.

Youri Tielemans found time and space to shoot between an on-rushing pack of Everton players outside the box, and his low drive went through the hands of Jordan Pickford.

That's what will really disappoint those supporters on their couches. Their side weren't pegged back by a moment of quality from a high-flying side.

In the end, it was an avoidable goal that did the business, and will potentially leave some feeling that it is two points dropped.

Everton were on the back foot throughout the lion's share of proceedings, especially in the second half, but in fact they created the better chances.

What if Rodriguez's left-footed effort had found the corner? What if Dominic Calvert-Lewin had scored from a brilliant Lucas Digne cross? What if Andre Gomes had managed to compose himself from a late corner at the back post?

They are the frustrating questions that will linger on after this game.

In such a closely fought race for the European places this season those points could be crucial. We won't really know until we get into the business end of the campaign.

This was billed as one of the biggest matches of Everton's term thus far, and Carlo Ancelotti certainly didn't shy away from that pressure before the game.

His side have performed so well that talk of potential Champions League qualification has cropped up among a tight race at the top of the table.

The manager told his pre-match press conference: "This is the target that we have for the future. I don't know how long it's going to take.

“I hope soon we can play games in the Champions League because it's the best competition in the world.”

Ancelotti also said that after the coming two matches, this one against Leicester and Saturday's visit of Newcastle United, he will know where his side really stand.

That remains the same. It might not have done if the Blues managed to sneak a win from this match.

Because, despite the disappointment that many will clearly feel after being a goal up at home, this is still a decent result for Everton.

They have taken four points from a real rival for the places at the top of the Premier League table, a side with very similar ambitions to themselves at the beginning of the term.

Granted the performance might not have been there throughout the 90 minutes on Wednesday evening, but even without playing very well the hosts still had the better chances to win the game.

On another night, Ancelotti would have been celebrating a crucial win while his side were generally out of form.

Instead, unfortunately, there are still questions of “what if?”.

But, the boss was expecting that. He knew that it was only after this weekend's match that we would really get an idea of where Everton's Champions League hopes potentially lie.

The pressure is on the Blues for the visit of Newcastle now. Can they make that one count?

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