Everton made very hard work of this, especially considering the strength of their starting 11, but Roberto Martínez’s team advanced to the fourth round for the first time since 2011-12 after coming from behind against an effervescent and experimental Reading. Ross Barkley’s 62nd-minute volley cancelled out Nick Blackman’s first half opener, before Gerard Deulofeu scored the winner from a free-kick despite some questionable goalkeeping from the hosts’ Ali Al-Habsi.
They were Everton’s only two attempts on target and the visitors flattered to deceive in an opening period where Reading, giving first starts to four midfielders, buzzed and deservedly led. Yet the introduction of Gareth Barry for Arouna Koné at the interval, allowing Barkley to push further forward, saw the Premier League team take control and Reading eventually succumbed.
Barkley was making his 100th appearance for the club, a landmark described by Martínez as “immense” and “remarkable”, and kickstarted the comeback when directing a low volley home from 16 yards after Alejandro Fernández could only half-clear a Deulofeu corner. “He has gone to a different level this season,” Martínez said.
Eleven minutes after drawing level Deulofeu struck a free-kick from 25 yards over the Reading wall and Al-Habsi somehow managed to turn the ball in to his own net with the shot at a decent height for him to save. “I haven’t seen it again but everyone I’ve spoken to can’t get the words that it was a mistake out of their mouth quick enough,” the Reading manager, Steve Clarke, said. “I’m disappointed because we played really well.”
Blackman led the line impressively beyond a trio of attacking midfielders –
Ola John, Lucas Piazón and Paolo Hurtado – making their first starts for the club and turned John’s cross from the left in at the far post after some slack marking from the visiting left-back Ramiro Funes Mori to give Reading a deserved lead. Blackman could easily have added another, denied by two decent Joel Robles saves.
John and Piazón, who are on loan from Benfica and Chelsea respectively, immediately looked to be on the same wavelength and were causing a surprising amount of problems to an often stagnant Everton midfield. John, in particular, impressed and could have scored in both halves with long-range efforts narrowly missing the target.
Everton, on the other hand, could barely string a decent move together in the opening 45 minutes, playing 4-4-2 with Aaron Lennon stationed on the right of defence, but improved substantially after Koné was taken off and Martínez switched to his favoured 4-2-3-1. That allowed Barkley to enjoy more freedom in attack, flanked by Deulofeu and Leon Osman, and once he found the net it soon became clear that there would only be one winner.
While Reading’s new players impressed, their lack of recent action and therefore fitness was telling and as the clock ticked they tired while Everton kicked on. Deulofeu’s shot was well-placed but Al-Habsi, whose only notable action previously in the game had been to pick the ball out of the net after Barkley’s beauty, will be desperate to forget his error. It brought back unfortunate memories for Clarke, who was quick to mention Adam Federici’s error at Wembley in last season’s FA Cup semi-final defeat against Arsenal. “We got to the semi-finals of the cup last season only for a mistake to cost us, but that’s life.”
Everton’s victory came at a cost, however, with John Stones hobbling gingerly off early in the second period. The Everton manager was not overly concerned but the England defender will have his right knee assessed before Monday’s Premier League match at West Bromwich Albion. “John was more a precaution than anything,” Martínez said. “He had a knock on his right knee and will be assessed over the next 48 hours but I don’t think it will be a major issue.”
