Foxes vs Toffees, Match Report and MotM poll...

Everton Man of the Match

  • Joel "Clean Sheet" Robles

    Votes: 58 27.1%
  • Leighton Baines

    Votes: 2 0.9%
  • Ramiro Funes Mori

    Votes: 4 1.9%
  • Ashley Williams

    Votes: 52 24.3%
  • Mason Holgate

    Votes: 13 6.1%
  • Aaron Lennon

    Votes: 4 1.9%
  • Gareth Barry

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Idrissa Gana Gueye

    Votes: 34 15.9%
  • Seamus Coleman

    Votes: 6 2.8%
  • Kevin Mirallas

    Votes: 5 2.3%
  • Romelu Lukaku

    Votes: 12 5.6%
  • Tom Davies

    Votes: 17 7.9%
  • Ross Barkley

    Votes: 5 2.3%
  • Tom Cleverley

    Votes: 2 0.9%

  • Total voters
    214
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AndyC

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Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells…

Foxes 0 - 2 Everton

Brief Summary…A display of dogged determination and resolution against the defending champions, topped with two superbly taken second half goals saw Everton return smiles to the faces of the fans and add a timely boost of confidence for the second half of the season.

The usual noisy travelling support were again in evidence in the King Power stadium for a Boxing Day clash with the reigning Premier League champions.

Ronald Koeman made changes from the derby dropping Barkley and moving Coleman into midfield. The starting eleven lined-up thus: Robles, Baines, Funes Mori, Williams, Holgate, Lennon, Coleman, Barry, Gueye, Mirallas and Lukaku.
Claudio Ranieri set-up his suspension and injury hit Foxes side: Schmeichel, Simpson, Wasilewski, Morgan, Chilwell, Gray, King, Amartey, Albrighton, Okazaki, and Slimani.
Stuart Atwell was the referee.


A steady start by both sides didn’t see any serious troubling of defences until Amartey tested Joel Robles from distance in the 11th minute, the Spanish keeper saving comfortably enough.

A quick counter by the home side following an Everton corner saw Gray fire in a long range shot, but off target and no real threat to Robles. Leicester were growing in confidence and a strong run by Chilwell forced their first corner that came to nothing.

A great tackle by Williams stopped Slimani is his tracks as the home side began to boss proceedings after a fairly even opening quarter hour, and a few minutes later a clearing header by the Welsh captain gave the home aside another corner.

Everton were biting into tackles and both Simpson and Amartey felt the weight of Mirallas and Baines respectively, the latter penalised for a free kick from which nothing resulted.

The game was moderately competitive, but lacking in real excitement and attacking quality from either side. Mirallas was dropping into midfield and this was again seeing Lukaku look isolated in ploughing a lone furrow up front.

Heading towards the break, Everton finally began to enjoy some meaningful possession exert some pressure on the home defence with a series of crosses, but as has become all too familiar, the possession was ponderous, crosses lacked real quality and Leicester were able to cope.

A late move saw Lukaku and Lennon combine to present Baines with a chance to cross or shoot and his effort across the face of goal was neither one nor the other and Mirallas was unable to get on the end.

Nett result of 45 minutes: plenty of possession with not one effort on the home goal to show for it.

Half Time: 0-0.

Leicester brought on Drinkwater for the second half at the expense of Olazaki… a move that baffled this reporter as taking a forward off for a midfielder was hardly a sign of attacking intent from Ranieri.

An early long ball forward by Leicester fell nicely for Slimani, but he badly mistimed his shot and it almost went for a throw-in.


Gray twisted and turned to evade both Barry and Baines before making a hash of his cross from the right flank – the lack of quality in the game was frustrating until… moments later a long ball from Ashley Williams found Kevin Mirallas with a long ball over the top and the Belgian pulled away from his marker to slide a precise, low shot beyond the reach of Schmeichel for the 51st minute opening goal.

The Blues were now looking a bit more confident and Mirallas nearly tip-toed his way through the home defence again as we looked for a second.

The hour mark saw the home crowd becoming frustrated and their favourites resorting to route one tactics and generally trying to increase their tempo but, the Blues defence was standing firm.

Mahrez and Ulloa come on for King and Gray respectively in the 65th minute as Ranieri looked to add size and pace, and Ulloa wasted a glorious chance heading straight into the arms of Robles when it looked easier to score. The scene looked set for a helter-skelter last 25 minutes.

Skipper Gareth Barry made way for Tom Davies on 67 minutes as Ronald Koeman seemed to feel that the greater youth and speed of Davies might be needed, that and resting Barry for the trip to Hull might have been a factor.

Leicester were pumping long balls and crosses into the Everton box with RFM, Williams and Robles finding ways to foil the intended recipients. Kevin Mirallas made way for Ross Barkley in the 75th minute as Ronald Koeman looked to further boost the midfield and deny Leicester space. Davies was making a good impression on the game and on a one-two with Gana tried his luck from distance, the shot going wide.

Leicester re-doubled their efforts as the game moved into its final ten minutes and our boys switched into ball possession mode to frustrate the home side and eat up valuable time. A fine pass set Lukaku free down the right and his telling cross to the back post was met by the arriving Gana Gueye who incredibly blazed over from no more than six yards out.

Drinkwater was booked for a push on Lennon and the free kick saw Everton win a right wing corner that ended with Davies again trying his luck from distance. Lennon made way for Cleverley in the 87th minute.

With time ticking down, all hell let loose amongst the travelling Evertonians as a long clearance found Romelu Lukaku in space on the right and he bludgeoned his way Morgan before sealing a much-needed and valuable three points on the road with a cool, calm and collected low shot past Schmeichel for 0-2 and sending him into double figures for the campaign to date.

Final Score: 0-2.

The first half was largely forgettable, and at times this Boxing Day clash was not particularly pretty to watch, more a Dogs of War performance than School of Science one, but let’s be honest, the points were way more important than the manner of how we earned them.

The starting line-up raised a few eyebrows, but Ronald Koeman got things just about right, including the timings of his substitutions as Tom Davies settled immediately into the game and Ross Barkley looked composed when he got his chance late on.

On reflection, only Everton deserved to win the game as Leicester for all their huff and puff looked just that, a huff and puff team in comparison to the team that romped to the title last May.


Enough of them, let’s celebrate a terrific, battling showing and two superb strikes from our Belgian spearheads… rest our limbs and prepare for what will likely be another battle when we travel to Humberside to take on Hull on Friday.

All together now… Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, jingle all the way; oh what fun it is to see Everton win away…
 
From the match thread

Not a great performance by either team. A very scrappy game.

But given our recent form, these are the types of games we need to dig in and grind out a result. We did that today.

Rom showing why, despite being 'meh' for 91 mins, he is invaluable to this squad.

Holgate and Davis doing their reputations no harm at all there. Thought Tom Davis looked especially hungry there, like a white Gana Gueye with Mark Owen's hair-do :p

Between Williams & Robles for MOTM for me.

Well in blues!!!! :D
 
Lukaku. Absolutely starved of anything of use for 85 minutes and then produces two of the best moments of the match.

Williams also did well, Gueye worked hard, Mirallas had a good 10 minute spell and scored, Barkley had a good cameo. Other than that though, we weren't great.
 

Voted for Joel as kept us in it as for quite a long time we were pretty dire although Ashley was good throughout.

Kev and Rom took their chances very well, whilst both Ross and Tom had excellent cameos.

Played some nice football towards the end of the game as we've seen in several other games, very frustrating that can't do that for more/earlier in our matches.
 
As expected of our formation, we found it difficult to get further than the halfway line so ended up with a kind of hoofball that had everyone on here losing their heads. Leicester were dross through and it was enough to beat them. Wingers struggled to make things work and that style really wasn't suited to Rom. Davies and Barkley gave us much more penetration. Davies with hunger and movement and Ross with through balls made us look much more in control and dangerous.
Joel stood out for me. Not only for keeping a clean sheet or being decisive when balls came in, but for getting the assist on Kev's opener. Hoofing works sometimes it seems...
 

Thought Holgate was great. He looks really well-suited to play in a back three, where the extra central defender means his relatively slight physique isn't a liability.
 
Wasn't a great game but an away win and a clean sheet is not to be sniffed at.

Williams was solid today, people were quick to kick him when he wasn't playing well so credit where it us due.

Davies looked completely comfortable. He needs to stay in the team. How refreshing was it to see an Everton player carry the ball past an opposition player?
 
From the match thread

Not a great performance by either team. A very scrappy game.

But given our recent form, these are the types of games we need to dig in and grind out a result. We did that today.

Rom showing why, despite being 'meh' for 91 mins, he is invaluable to this squad.

Holgate and Davis doing their reputations no harm at all there. Thought Tom Davis looked especially hungry there, like a white Gana Gueye with Mark Owen's hair-do :p

Between Williams & Robles for MOTM for me.

Well in blues!!!! :D
Holgate should be starting every game, looks quality and can obviously defend. Davies did well when he came on, I'd be more than happy to see these two start against Hull.
 
Joel for me.

Because I had forgotten what a clean sheet was.....and for making an "assist".

An "assist" which underscores what many on here say is the random nature of "assists" :dance:
 

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