Andy Hunter was our man at Goodison Park. His take is in. You know the drill: clickity click! Enjoy that report ... and thanks for reading this one. Nighty night!
A clearly livid Don Carlo offers his analysis. “A big disappointment ... we lost a big opportunity to climb the table ... we made the same mistake we made in most games this season at Goodison, we didn’t start well ... we were 2-0 down and to get back is difficult ... we tried but it was not enough ... we were not good in balance, and in transition ... they were strong and won a lot of second balls ... this is the reason for the defeat ... we should have created more opportunity ... we were not clinical up front ... we missed passes and crosses ... on the quality aspect we could do much better ... at home we were not good enough, but we were fantastic away ... the next game at home, we have to do better.”
Michael Keane’s view. “It’s a big missed opportunity ... no disrespect to Burnley but we feel at home we should be winning these games ... it didn’t go our way today ... first half, we weren’t good enough and we got punished for it ... Burnley played to their strengths and won more second balls ... they seemed a lot sharper and I don’t have an explanation for that ... we could have scored another goal, but they could have scored one or two as well ... our home form is something we need to sort out ... we want to get in Europe ... we’ve got to focus on the next game, we’ve got ten left, and every opportunity to get into Europe.”
Sean Dyche talks to Sky. “We’ve come out of a tough run of games with some points on the board, and finished off with a very good win ... every time we pressed and nicked it, we looked a threat ... it could have been more at half-time, which I don’t say very often [small smile, eyebrow arches] ... the quality of moments we got into ... second half, they come out a bit lively for the first 15, 20 minutes, but I thought we handled that well ... we had some really good opportunities ... if there is a gripe, over the season we haven’t always maximised our chances, but we did today.” As for the phantom penalty? “I have no clue how that’s not a penalty ... we’re all flummoxed, good or bad ... that’s impossible.”
Burnley’s star man Dwight McNeil speaks to Sky. “It’s a great win ... we haven’t been in bad form, a few draws, so today it’s a great win for the lads to get three points and move up the table ... the lads tell me to shoot more, because in training I do put some goals in, and today it paid off ... you get self-confidence when the team around you believe you can pull stuff off like that ... we came in today full of confidence ... we always felt comfortable ... we know the resilience in the team ... we feel closer to safety but it doesn’t guarantee us, so we come back after the international break and go again.”
Joining Evertonians in the slough of despond: half-time star Justin Kavanagh, who sat through the damp squib at Elland Road earlier, but only caught the second half of this one. “No goals since I started watching this one either. My apologies to Gary Naylor and co.”
Burnley deserve their win completely. They were the better side for the entire match, with McNeil, Wood and Vydra all superb in attack. At times, especially during the first half, they played some exceptionally attractive football. Their three points consolidates their 15th place; they’re now on 33 points, five ahead of Newcastle in 16th and seven clear of the relegation places. Everton by contrast were flaccid, and while their home form isn’t quite as absurd as the run currently being endured by their good pals over the park, four defeats in their last five league matches at Goodison is a dismal return. It’s seriously compromised their bid for Europe. They remain in sixth on 46 points; fifth-placed West Ham have two extra points and a game in hand.
FULL TIME: Everton 1-2 Burnley
The whistle goes, and that’s a huge three points for Burnley in their battle to avoid the drop! They’re surely too good to go down.
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90 min +3: Pieters and Westwood both hit the turf, requiring treatment as the clock ticks on. While we wait, Sky co-commentator Jamie Carragher names Dwight McNeil as man of the match. A fine choice.
90 min +2: Up comes the keeper! What a story this could be! Digne takes. Burnley clear, though not quickly enough to aim for the unguarded goal. But that’s all they need to do.
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90 min +1: The first of three extra minutes passes by without too much incident ... until Keane slides a pass down the right, behind a snoozing Brady. Coleman wins a corner.
90 min: Keane barges into the back of Rodriguez, who is more than happy to purchase the free kick. Brady hangs it above the head of the nervous young keeper, who claims confidently. Sweet Virginia.
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89 min: Gomes drags a shot left to right across the face of goal. He didn’t catch that at all.
88 min: Pope claims. A poor corner.
87 min: The ball breaks to Iwobi, just inside the Burnley box on the right. His snapshot is blocked by Mee. Everton come again. Coleman drives low from the edge of the D. That’s deflected out for a corner on the right. Digne to take.
85 min: Pope is booked for taking a professional amount of time over a goal kick.
84 min: ... nothing of note occurs.
83 min: Iwobi crosses low from the right. Westwood hangs out a leg and deflects out for a corner. From which ...
81 min: McNeil drives in from the right and plays a fine diagonal pass towards Rodriguez, who bursts into the box from the left and tests Virginia. The keeper does well to parry clear.
79 min: McNeil is bowled over by King, 30 yards out in a central position. Brady decides to test the nervous young keeper, but doesn’t work Virginia, hoicking the ball miles over the bar.
78 min: Vydra, who has been excellent today, troops off exhausted. He’s replaced by Rodriguez.
77 min: Digne loops the free kick long. Keane flicks on, towards the top right. Just wide. Better from Everton.
76 min: ... but they’re not giving up, and Richarlison, having been quiet for a while, turns the jets on down the left touchline. Tarkowski comes across to cynically clean him out. Booking, and a free kick in a dangerous position.
75 min: Digne whips a cross in from the left, but there’s nobody in blue to meet it. Pope claims calmly. Everton, having started the second half well, look a little short of ideas now.
74 min: Coleman’s first involvement sees him stripped of possession by Brady. He’s very lucky that Keane noticed what was about to unfold, coming across to nick the ball back, before Brady could make hay.
73 min: Everton make their last swap of the evening: Coleman comes on for Holgate.
72 min: Not for the first time this evening, Burnley will wonder how they haven’t scored a third goal.
71 min: Burnley have suddenly turned up the heat. Brady whips a cross from the left. Wood dives in, Keith Houchen style, at the far post. Godfrey flicks away just in time. Then from the resulting corner, Mee skims the top of the crossbar with a header! And to complete a triptych of near misses, Vydra twists on the edge of the box, but Virginia smothers his shot just when it looks like squeaking into the bottom right.
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69 min: Godfrey and the debutant goalkeeper Virginia confuse each other under a Wood flick-on. The ball drops to Vydra, but he’s facing the wrong way and can’t connect when he spins. The open goal remains in tact.
67 min: On the bench, Gudmundsson gets some ice applied to his left ankle.
66 min: An attacking change for Everton, as King replaces Davies. Meanwhile Burnley make their first sub of the evening, Brady coming on for Gudmundsson.
65 min: Vydra clears. Everton have had a lot of possession since the restart, but they haven’t managed to seriously work Pope.
64 min: Westwood slides a pass down the inside-left channel to find Wood just inside the Everton box. He considers shooting from a tight angle but instead passes infield to nobody. Everton break at speed and win their fourth corner of the match. Digne to take, from the left.
62 min: Calvert-Lewin is nearly released by a simple long ball down the middle from Davies. His touch is heavy, though; the ball clanks off his shin and sails through to Pope.
61 min: Brownhill and Digne contest a loose ball in midfield. Digne catches Brownhill on the follow-through, hurting himself in the accidental collision. A loud yelp, but after a worrying beat, he’s soon up and about again.
59 min: ... Keane nearly hits the corner flag with an attempted volley towards the top right. Full marks for ambition from the former Burnley man.
58 min: Out on the right, Pieters barges Richarlison over from behind. Everton load the box. Gomes swings it in, and ...
56 min: McNeil tries to release Wood with a cushioned pass down the right, but Keane anticipates the danger and intercepts.
54 min: Iwobi dinks a ball in from the right. Calvert-Lewin tries to trap and spin, but the ball breaks through to Pope. Calvert-Lewin goes over, with Tarkowski on his shoulder, and claims a penalty, but he’s never getting one for that minimal contact.
52 min: Everton stroke it around the back, but make no other progress.
50 min: Pieters has an opportunity to send McNeil scampering into space down the left, but his pass is way too strong. Goal kick. McNeil is buzzing around in a very progressive style, though, lively, sharp and dangerous.
48 min: ... but Burnley only half clear, and the ball is shuttled back to Digne, who crosses wonderfully this time. He finds Calvert-Lewin on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. Calvert-Lewin mistimes his jump and the ball clanks out off his shoulder for a goal kick. Promising early second-half signs for the hosts.
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47 min: Everton launch an attack in short order, and Gomes creams a long-distance effort towards the bottom right. Pope extends his fingers to tip around the post. Digne’s delivery of the resulting corner is awful ...
Everton get the second half underway. No half-time changes.
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HALF TIME: Everton 1-2 Burnley
That’s the end of a glorious half of football. Everton could easily have had a couple more; Burnley could have helped themselves to a hatful. Magnificent fun, with the promise of plenty more in the second half. Go nowhere, else you may live to regret it, like poor Justin Kavanagh: “Great. I spend 90 minutes watching the non-materializing goalfest at Elland Road, so decided enough footie for one day and go out to walk the dog. I get back, drowned by the rain, to find a three-goal thriller is unfolding in the BURNLEY game, with a goal-of-the-season contender.” See you in 15, then!
45 min +3: Earlier in that move, Lowton slid in heavily on Davies, and now he’s booked as a result.
45 min +2: Burnley have been by far the better, more dangerous side. Yet their lead is precarious, and Iwobi nearly sends Calvert-Lewin free with a sliderule pass down the middle. The Everton striker is denied the chance to level the scores by Mee’s excellent hook clear.
45 min +1: McNeil slides a pass down the left for Vydra, who tiptoes along the byline, but can’t find anyone with his cutback.
45 min: Almost immediately, Virginia is called into action, Gudmundsson teeing up Brownhill on the edge of the Everton box. He handles the low drive very confidently. That was Burnley’s tenth attempt on goal! It’s been one hell of a first-half performance, especially in the context of their goalscoring record away from Turf Moor: just eight all season before today.
43 min: Pickford has done his best, but he can’t continue. He’s replaced by Joao Virginia. The 21-year-old from Portugal makes his Premier League debut.
42 min: Allan curls long from a deep position on the left. He very nearly releases Calvert-Lewin, who can’t control properly, allowing Pieters to guide the ball back to his keeper.
40 min: This is relentless. Burnley ping it around aesthetically yet again, teeing up Brownhill, whose creamed shot is deflected out for a corner. Everton deal with the set piece easily enough.
38 min: Westwood is booked for climbing on Calvert-Lewin’s back as the Everton striker tries to bust down the inside-right channel. Free kick, which Calvert-Lewin meets, six yards out, only to blaze his header over.
36 min: Burnley sweep down the middle yet again, McNeil, Wood and Vydra combining with some cute triangles. McNeil tries to curls goalward again. Godfrey blocks, his arm up, but Burnley aren’t getting a penalty for this either. This one is more understandable, McNeil having really hit that at him hard, at close proximity. But that won’t improve Burnley’s mood.
35 min: Tarkowski is beyond annoyed, having been blocked off by Iwobi when attacking a free kick, then being hit by Westwood’s shot while prone on the edge of the Everton box. He rants at the referee a bit. The referee pays no attention.
33 min: The Everton tails are back up. Richarlison glides towards the Burnley box and aims for the bottom right. Pope does extremely well to smother. A great game, this.
GOAL! Everton 1-2 Burnley (Calvert-Lewin 32)
He’ll be chewing a little less maniacally now! Davies, partly to blame for the opening goal, whips a cross in from the right. It’s an absolute beauty, right on the head of Calvert-Lewin, who powers past Pope from close range. Everton are back in it!
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31 min: On the touchline, Carlo Ancelotti chews gum with Peter Reidesque intensity. Allardycian levels of mastication.
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30 min: Burnley continue to press Everton back. A free kick flung in from the left. A corner from the right. A cross from the right. Everton just about deal with each situation, but they’re clinging on by their fingernails here.
28 min: Pickford stays down, having hurt his hip while diving towards Gudmundsson’s shot. He looks uncomfortable and pained, but he’ll continue for now.
27 min: Burnley are all over Everton, who are all over the place! Gudmundsson strides down the middle and curls a low drive onto the base of the left-hand post and away! So unlucky not to make it three.
26 min: As Burnley celebrate McNeil’s goal, their captain Mee has words with the referee regarding the penalty. You can understand his annoyance, the decision not to award one was very generous.
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GOAL! Everton 0-2 Burnley (McNeil 24)
This is an absolutely sensational goal. McNeil receives a pass infield from the right. He drops a shoulder to sell Allan a dummy, then opens his body to power an unstoppable curler into the very top of the top left corner. Pickford had no chance, and that is one of the goals of the season!
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23 min: The corner is swung deep. Mee contests with Holgate at the far stick. The ball hits Holgate’s arm and Burnley want a penalty. Holgate’s arm was held above his head, but neither referee nor VAR chappie is interested. Everton are extremely fortunate to get away with that. Perhaps they thought Mee was grappling a little too enthusiastically.
22 min: Wood strides down the middle, having taken down a long ball with his chest and spun. He aims for the top right, but his effort is deflected out for a corner on the right.
20 min: Mee and McNeil combine to upend Richarlison just to the right of the Burnley D. The referee lets play go on, with the ball breaking free to Holgate on the right. His low cross pinballs back to Pope. Everton would have much preferred the free kick, I’ll be bound.
19 min: Gudmundsson lofts a high pass down the right and nearly finds Vydra in the Everton box, but Pickford is alert and comes to the edge of his area to claim.
17 min: Richarlison probes down the left and tries to make space for a shot, but as he attempts a curler towards the top right, Tarkowski gets right on top of him to block. Richarlison has looked lively so far.
15 min: Burnley usually ship an early goal - they’ve conceded during the first quarter of an hour ten times this season - so this is a break from the norm. It’s a poser for Everton, too, given their none-too-impressive recent form at Goodison.
GOAL! Everton 0-1 Burnley (Wood 13)
This is a lovely finish! Davies is barged off the ball by Brownhill, who sends McNeil away down the left. McNeil reaches the byline and cuts back. Wood takes up possession on the edge of the box, drops a shoulder, and curls a glorious shot into the bottom right, Pickford rooted to the spot.
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12 min: Another opportunity for Richarlison to steam towards the Burnley box. He considers shooting, and in retrospect should have done, because he overhits his threaded pass through to Calvert-Lewin and Pope smothers.
10 min: Nothing of note happening, which gives Lafua Michael the chance to question Ancelotti’s selection of Alex Iwobi. “Ancelotti says: ‘I want to know his preferred position.’ Don’t bother, Carlo, his preferred position is on the bench, and rightly so. If you can’t work your socks off for the team, you’ll even be lucky to be on the bench in Monsieur Mourinho’s team. It’s no coincidence the Super Eagles, of late, are performing like eaglets.”
8 min: Digne curls it in from the left. It’s half cleared and drops to Davies, whose attempt at a first-time screamer is blocked the second it comes away from his boot.
7 min: Davies meanders down the right and is pointlessly shoved to the ground from behind by McNeil. A chance to swing a free kick into the box. Gomes obliges. Vydra heads behind for a corner.
6 min: Pope’s long clearance is headed down by Wood into the path of Vydra, who is unable to control. Shame for Burnley, as McNeil was in space to Vydra’s left, with the Everton back line light of staff.
5 min: Everton stroke it around the middle of the park. Burnley seem happy enough to let them do so.
4 min: The corner is a waste of our time.
3 min: ... but it’s Everton who take the first shot in anger. Richarlison is allowed to meander a long way down the inside-right channel. He creams one towards the top right. Pope does very well to turn it around the post for a corner.
1 min: A couple of early long balls pumped forward by Burnley. Everton deal with them, but don’t look 100 percent comfortable doing so. Gauntlet down?
Burnley get the ball rolling, but only after taking the knee. There’s no room for racism. Kick it out.
The teams are out! The players emerge to the traditional strains of the second-best theme tune from a 1960s cop show. Everton in blue, Burnley in third-choice yellow. We’ll be off in a minute. Book ‘em, Mosso.
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Sean Dyche takes his turn on the mic. “It’s been tight ... we’ve had a couple of good performances against Leicester and Arsenal, two really good sides ... a pretty big blip against Spurs but they played very well and that can happen ... so the mentality is good ... I would question why we have three weeks off now, but that’s done ... obviously it would be beneficial to get a result today but beyond that it gives us three weeks to get everyone fit ... that would give us a stronger chance in the nine games that are left ... we’ve got to defend well today but hopefully ask them some questions as well.”
Carlo Ancelotti has his eye on a top-four finish, telling Sky: “It is an important opportunity to get a result ... the game of Chelsea taught that it is difficult to play in the Premier League, and it will be difficult tonight against Burnley ... we want to improve ... we are on time to have a good result because the fight for Europe is still there.”
Everton make just one change to the side named for the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea. Tom Davies replaces Gylfi Sigurdsson, who was a fitness worry but takes a place on the bench. Yerry Mina and Seamus Coleman return from injury as substitutes.
Burnley also make a single change to their starting XI from their last game. Erik Pieters, who came on and made quite the impression in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal, nearly scoring a screamer before getting himself sent off only to be allowed back on again, replaces the hamstrung Charlie Taylor.
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The teams
Everton: Pickford, Holgate, Keane, Godfrey, Iwobi, Davies, Allan, Andre Gomes, Digne, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison.
Subs: Sigurdsson, King, Mina, Nkounkou, Coleman, Virginia, Broadhead, Tyrer, Onyango.
Burnley: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters, Gudmundsson, Westwood, Brownhill, McNeil, Vydra, Wood.
Subs: Brady, Peacock-Farrell, Stephens, Rodriguez, Bardsley, Long, Nartey, Dunne, Benson.
Referee: Jonathan Moss (County Durham).
Preamble
Everton and Burnley were both founder members of the Football League ... and if we get a match like the corresponding fixture back in 1888, we’ll not be doing too bad. On a crisp November afternoon, the hosts ran out at Anfield (kids, ask great-great-great grandma) and raced into a 3-0 lead, only for Burnley to set up a barnstorming climax by pulling a couple back. A futile effort, as Everton held on for a 3-2 win, a result that put them fourth in the table.
Fast forward 133 years, and Carlo Ancelotti’s side can only go fifth with a victory today. They’ll be confident of doing so, having won three of their last four games, while Burnley haven’t won in five and are glancing nervously over their shoulder at the relegation zone. However, you can slice the recent form both ways, given that Everton were well beaten at Chelsea last Monday, and their form at Goodison hasn’t been convincing at all, with three home defeats in their last four. Meanwhile Burnley have toughed out a couple of impressive draws in their last two outings, against Leicester and Arsenal, while they’ve already won on Merseyside this season.
Everton are favourites to take three points and keep their outside chances of a top-four spot alive. But they’ve not exactly been rattling in the goals of late, so how happy they’ll be to go up against a defence organised by Sean Dyche is a moot point. Plenty for both sides to play for here. Kick off is at 5.30pm GMT. It’s on!
