Thank you very much for joining me. Here is Andy Hunter’s lovely match report.
Townsend: “It was a tough one. We showed great character. At this stage of the season it’s not the win, it’s not the performance, it’s the fact we showed character.
“We know what went wrong in the first-half. We rectified that in the second and deserved the win.
“I have to give a shoutout to my mum as she sent me a compilation of all my goals together this week. I have that in my locker.”
I’d consider saying Burnley need to make a couple of changes but they will keep doing the same thing until they get into a run of form. They struggled in midfield when Everton changed formation and could not cope with the extra man an energy in there.
Not a bad strike from Andros Townsend.
WHAT A STRIKE 🚀
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 13, 2021
Andros Townsend fires Everton ahead against Burnley as the Toffees hit form in the second half
📺 Watch #MNF on Sky Sports PL pic.twitter.com/TOfbAstszy
“Good to see Salomon Rondon back in the EPL,” says Alan Davis. “I hope he does well for Everton. He performed heroics as lone striker in Pulis’s 5-4-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1 formation at West Brom.”
He is a versatile No 9.
Updated
Full-time: Everton 3-1 Burnley
The game was turned on its head when Everton scored three in seven minutes to go from a one-goal deficits to a two-goal lead. Burnley deserved their opener and will be very disappointed by how quickly things went awry, even if there were a couple of cracking goals from Everton.
90+2 mins: Everton are just killing time by sending crosses from one side of the box to the other.
90 mins: Four minutes added on.
89 mins: Rodriguez heads over for Burnley as the game unofficially ends.
Townsend is awarded man of the match, mainly thanks to his cracking goal.
87 mins: The ball is on the gantry! What a night.
Iwobi is on for Gray, who gets a fine ovation.
You can always hope.
@Will_Unwin unlikely I know but 2 more unanswered goals and Everton go top - they'd be the ninth team to top the league this season
— Richard Morris (@richardmorrisuk) September 13, 2021
85 mins: Dyche has brought on Lennon, a man who has returned from a year battling relegation in Turkey, before Cornet. Maybe he is protecting him from this defeat. I would see it more as a free hit to send him on.
Rodriguez is coming on as the final sub.
83 mins: A Burnley corner is cleared out to McNeil on the edge of the box, from where the winger pings a low shot straight at Pickford.
81 mins: Gray runs with the ball at the Burnley defence, watching runners move either side but decides to the take the shot on him. The ball whacks into the midriff of Mee, who must be pleased it was not any lower.
Rondon on for Richarlison.
79 mins: Sky flag that Gray has had three shots on target and scored three goals this season. What a bargain he’s been.
77 mins: He loves the King’s Place Bahn mi.
@Will_Unwin
— J.Q Butter (@JQButter1) September 13, 2021
Ben Mee is definitely the hardest in your office now! Must be surely?
So far he’s had a head knack,
Now a knackers knack,
Hope the changing rooms are locked or he might also have a
Wallet and Watch knack!
Hopefully not though.
75 mins: Burnley get a corner on the right after Brownhill’s cross is deflected wide. The ball is cleared but a cross comes back into the box, with Tarkowski heading the ball home only to see it ruled out for offside.
Lennon and Vydra on for Gudmundsson and Barnes.
73 mins: Townsend cuts in from the right to find the perfect shooting position 20 yards out. He pings a shot but Pope does well to palm it away from the top corner.
Gomes is eventually played through in the box but he cannot wrap his foot around the shot and sends his shot wide.
Burnley’s downfall all started with Ben Mee taking one on the knackers. Will he or Burnley ever recover from it?
71 mins: Big Dunc is having a good old laugh with Rafa Benitez. They must be a bit more relaxed now.
Mary Waltz says: “Two seconds before Townsend struck his Golazzo the NBC commentator shouted “he can strike from distance.”
Goooooooooooolaaaaaaazzzzzzo.
69 mins: This feels done and dusted now, as I can’t see Burnley scoring two. The wind is in Everton’s sails and it could get messy.
Doucoure turns home a cross from the right for he thinks is the fourth but it is rightly ruled out for offside. Goodison is still rocking.
GOAL! Everton 3-1 Burnley (Gray, 67)
Burnley are falling apart. The ball is slipped down the middle by Doucoure for Gray to sprint onto in space. He takes two touches to get it out of his feet, before calmly slotting into the corner. What a turnaround.
Updated
GOAL! Everton 2-1 Burnley (Townsend, 65)
WHAT A HIT! Townsend picks up the ball 40 yards from goal, dribbles a few yards inside and curls a wonderful shot from distance into the top corner with his left foot.
Updated
62 mins: Gomes is on for Godfrey as Benitez sticks to his guns when it comes to the change.
GOAL! Everton 1-1 Burnley (Keane, 60)
Digne and Gray work a short corner, which the winger whacks towards goal but it is met by a claret chest. The ball is worked back into the box by Townsend, who finds former Burnley defender Keane on the edge of the six-yard box to head home.
Updated
59 mins: Andre Gomes is stripping off to come on. Everton do need to change things.
It was pretty reckless, that’s for sure.
Just a straight red card for Tarkowski @Will_Unwin. How did that lunge not endanger the player?
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) September 13, 2021
It's not a tackle to win the ball, it's a tackle to provoke a player. Pretty poor stuff.
57 mins: Mee goes down again clutching his manhood. At this point he can be happy he’s already got two children. Now he needs to focus again on ensuring Burnley do not concede.
55 mins: Mee certainly enjoyed that one on his 200th Premier League appearance for Burnley. Down the other end he is less celebratory as he dives in to block a cross, getting a whack in the old testicles for his troubles.
GOAL! Everton 0-1 Burnley (Mee, 53)
The Guardian’s Ben Mee heads home a Gudmundsson cross from six yards out.
Updated
51 mins: Tarkowski flies into Richarlison from about five yards away. The Burnley defender wins the ball but it is quite reckless as he goes through the Brazilian. This game could get a little lively.
Everton get a free-kick on the left flank but Burnley head clear.
49 mins: The foul gives Everton a free-kick 25 yards from goal. Digne curls it against the wall, earning a corner rather than a goal.
47 mins: Brownhill goes into the book for essentially rugby tackling Townsend. He moans but it can’t have any complaints.
Second half
Here we go again!
Everton’s 3-4-3 has not worked particularly well so far. Will Benitez change things around?
Half-time: Everton 0-0 Burnley
Burnley have been the better team overall in the opening 45 minutes but were unable to take three great chances. Everton came back into the match from 25 minutes onwards and have made a couple of opportunities of their own.
45 mins: One minute added on.
44 mins: There is a minute’s applause at 43 minutes for Evertonians Lee and Sophie Martyn who died in the Plymouth shooting in August.
42 mins: Tarkowski wins a header against Richarlison, who ends up in a heap on the floor. Burnley play on, lose the ball and Everton still do not kick the ball out so the Brazilian gets up.
40 mins: Richarlison bends his run to get in behind the Burnley defence but he delays his cross, allowing to Taylor to come back and block. The corner is sent very deep to the back post where Godfrey flicks it well wide.
38 mins: Barnes is penalised for offside but, for good measure, pushes Mina over too.
36 mins: Mee jogs back on having answered all the relevant questions. The ball is sent long down the pitch but Everton cope with the hustle and bustle to clear.
Mee’s first piece of action since returning to the pitch is to miscue a head and pull Richarlison down.
34 mins: Mee is on the ground after a bang to the head from Richarlison, so is getting some treatment. Tarkowski fights his captain’s corner with the Brazilian. The medics are checking on Mee with the usual concussion tests but he looks desperate to get up.
Here is Mee on concussion, funnily enough.
32 mins: Digne’s cross clips Gudmundsson and heads out for a corner. The Frenchman sends it short to Gray who passes it back to Allan. The ball eventually makes it into the box but Mina makes poor contact and Pope collects.
30 mins: Taylor wastes around a minute to take two throw-ins down the line as he looks to quieten the crowd after Everton’s best spell of the game.
28 mins: Burnley’s big men up top combine well, as Barnes lays the ball back to Brownhill 12 yards out but the midfielder fails to hit his shot cleanly and Pickford gobbles it up.
Down the other end, Townsend slips in Doucoure who whacks a shot across Pope but the goalkeeper gets a strong right arm on it.
Updated
26 mins: Mee and referee Atkinson have a good laugh. I bet that was lovely banter.
McNeil drifts inside and is found by Taylor, allowing the winger to turn have fire off a shot which is slowed down by Mina on its way to Pickford’s arms.
24 mins: A replay is shown of Doucoure fouling Tarkowski in the box at the most recent corner. The officials seem to have glossed over it, as it really was a foul. Maybe they need some sort of video assistant referee.
Doucoure is penalised for a late challenge on Westwood, who catches his opponent on the ankle. The Everton avoids a booking. A lucky night so far for the midfielder.
22 mins: Burnley are certainly the better team tonight but are yet to test Pickford. Everton look like they are still getting used to their new formation, so Burnley need to take advantage while they can.
“When he was fit James Rodriguez was a lovely player to watch for Everton fans. But when he announced that he only came to Everton to play for Carlo he didn’t give Rafa any choice did he?” asks Mary Waltz.
I suspect there were a few options available to all of them.
20 mins: Another chance comes for Wood as Lowton sends in a low cross which Barnes jumps over, so his striker partner can shoot at good but his effort is deflected wide.
Mee piles in to try and head in the corner but he can’t made decent contact and the ball goes wide.
18 mins: Taylor does some fine work down the left but his cross is a chip into the box and Wood cannot get any power on it, instead looping his header into the arms of Pickford.
Burnley could do with a Bahn Mi sandwich bar.
@Will_Unwin
— J.Q Butter (@JQButter1) September 13, 2021
….and another thing quickly,
I’ve also just seen your note about your new Guadian football writer.
It reminded me of my old Irish mum, and if she’d of fancied a Vietnamese baguette,
she would of said,
“I’ll have one of those
Ben Mees please”
16 mins: Brownhill lobs a 30 yards pass back to Pope, who takes a heavy first touch but recovers to clear. I am not sure the Burnley goalkeeper is too keen on those.
14 mins: A few boos from the crowd as Burnley take an age to execute a throw-in. It could be a long night if they are wasting time now.
12 mins: Burnley win a corner down the left. They do love a good set-piece. Mee and Tarkowski join the other big me in the box. Westwood swings it in but he does not beat the first man.
Benitez will be pleased ...
@Will_Unwin
— J.Q Butter (@JQButter1) September 13, 2021
Hello Will, just seen your note about James remaining at Everton until Jan, which will cost them in the region of £4milllion!
You could get almost 2.4
Demarai Grays for that!
10 mins: Gray picks up a loose ball around 30 yards from goal, gets it out of his feet and whacks a shot towards goal but it glides well wide.
8 mins: Burnley are looking relatively sharp and confident by their standards but they might end up ruing that missed chance for Wood.
6 mins: McNeil swings in a beauty of a cross from deep on the left towards Wood at the back post but the Burnley striker fails to attack the ball properly, possibly distracted by the outrushing Pickford, as he only succeeds in flicking the ball wide from six yards.
Simon McGrother says: “It was very similar to the tackle on Harvey Elliott. The league should probably take a look.”
Was it a red card yesterday? That’s the big question.
4 mins: Richarlison hobbles off and walks back on, so should be fine in the long-term.
Everton have an early plan to stretch the play as much as possible, going from one side to the other to catch Burnley out.
Peter Oh says: “Premier League fans are a spoiled bunch. Two days after His second coming, we’re treated to a in potential second second coming! Go on Solomon Rondon!”
SR9 > CR7
2 mins: Burnley start in direct and robust fashion, unsurprisingly, as they send the ball long and play head tennis for a while. This is then backed up by Brownhill who goes through the back of Richarlison, leaving the Brazilian in a heap. I would say that is a booking but the ref is having none of it.
Kick-off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
The players are out on the pitch, as we edge closer to kick-off.
“Though it looks like a back five for Everton, I expect to see Coleman and Digne operate more like wingbacks, if not out and out wingbacks,” emails Matt Burtz. “Calvert-Lewin’s absence isn’t great, but Richarlison does a fine job leading the line by himself, and we know Gray can score. I’ve been quite pleased with their first four games (League Cup included) and I think it’s reasonable to expect all three points in front of a hopefully raucous Monday night Goodison crowd.”
Updated
What you need to know.
Rafa Benitez has provided an update on Dominic Calvert-Lewin...
— Everton (@Everton) September 13, 2021
"He has broken his toe. He was training with problems and playing with pain. He had an injury the other day to his quadriceps and we have to wait two-to-three weeks, maybe more."#EFC 🔵 #EVEBUR pic.twitter.com/AlRPAtEnD1
Without Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison is preferred to Solomon Rondon who up top but I think we can expect to see the former Newcastle man get a chance later on. Burnley might have preferred playing against Calvert-Lewin as his style suits Mee and Tarkowski more, so it will be interesting to see how they do against Richarlison.
The Guardian’s Ben Mee.
2⃣0⃣0⃣ club
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) September 13, 2021
The skipper makes his 200th @premierleague appearance for Burnley this evening, the first player do so for the club 👏#EVEBUR | #UTC pic.twitter.com/Uts7Le6iRE
I did write many days ago about Maxwel Cornet, you will all be pleased to know.
There is no place in the Everton for James Rodriguez today. The club failed to get rid of him before the end of the UK transfer window and even the Turkish one, meaning they will be stumping up his, reported, £250k a week wages until January at least.
He is pleased to be at Goodison.
Andy Hunter on the state of play at Everton.
Starting lineups
Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Godfrey, Keane, Mina, Digne, Allan, Doucoure, Townsend, Gray, Richarlison
Subs: Begovic, Kenny, Holgate, Iwobi, Gomes, Gordon, Gbamin, Davies, Rondon
Burnley: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Gudmundsson, Brownhill, Westwood, McNeil, Wood, Barnes
Subs: Hennessey, Bardsley, Lennon, Thomas, Pieters, Cork, Vydra, Cornet, Rodriguez
Preamble
Everton are unbeaten after three Premier League games under the tutelage of Rafa Benítez and will be confident they can pick up three more points against Burnley this evening. They have already scored seven goals this season, following a shot shy end to the previous campaign. Benítez has worked some magic in the transfer market, with the arrival of Demarai Gray for £1.7m looking like one of the bargains of the summers.
Burnley, on the other hand, have a single point to their name but they have finally signed some new players. Although, their deadline day arrival - Connor Roberts - is injured, Maxwel Cornet could make his debut after signing from Lyon for a respectable fee. Burnley will be Burnley as they set up in a 4-4-2 and will make things very difficult for Everton but Benitez knows that very well and will not be scared. Guardian columnist Ben Mee will make his 200th Premier League appearance for the club when he captains the side today, becoming the first player to reach the milestone for Burnley.
Let’s hope for an intriguing encounter!
Kick-off: 8pm BST.
