Everton prevail in six-goal thriller against Leicester City
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Updated 09/04/2017 at 18:05 GMT
Premier League – Goodison Park – Everton 4 (Davies 1’ Lukaku 23’ 57’ Jagielka 41’) Leicester City 2 (Slimani 4’ Albrighton 10’)
Everton's English midfielder Tom Davies (2R) is is mobbed by teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Leicester City at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on April 9
Image credit: AFP
Romelu Lukaku grabbed a brace as Everton ended Craig Shakespeare's perfect start as Leicester City boss with an enthralling 4-2 victory at Goodison Park.
A barnstorming contest got off to a flyer when Tom Davies scored inside 30 seconds for the Toffees, but the visitors hit back and had snatched the lead by the 10th minute courtesy of Islam Slimani and Marc Albrighton.
Lukaku notched for the eighth straight home game to level before Phil Jagielka brought a breathless first 45 minutes of play to an end with a header to restore the Blues' advantage.
Lukaku then added his second of the encounter from a corner just shy of the hour to take his tally to 23 for the season as Everton produced a much more measured and controlled display following the interval. The victory was the seventh straight home success for Ronald Koeman's seventh-placed side, who move level on points with Arsenal in sixth, albeit having played three games more.
Leicester stay 11th as Shakespeare's bid to equal the record start of six consecutive league wins set by Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti was deservedly halted in one of the most memorable matches of the campaign. The visitors made five changes to their line-up, and the defence in particular struggled to cope as Shakespeare looked to keep some of his stars fresh for the Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.
TALKING POINT
Shakespeare's run is over, but his gamble with his team selection could yet pay off
After a perfect start Shakespeare's five-match winning streak in the league is over - but he'll no doubt take it if his team get a positive result in the Champions League quarter final at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night. The Foxes boss clearly had one eye on Europe with the tinkering to his line up as keeping faith with the players and system who won the league last term has been key to his success. If his players are fresh and perform at their best on one of the biggest nights in their history, it'll be a case of short-term pain for long-term gain.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Romelu Lukaku (Everton): It could easily have gone to Kevin Mirallas or Ross Barkley for all-action attacking displays, but Lukaku's finishing is vital to Everton's hopes of qualifying for Europe and on this evidence it's no surprise he's leading the way at the top of the goal charts.
PLAYER RATINGS
EVERTON: Joel 7, Holgate 6, Jagielka 8, Pennington 6, Baines 6, Schneiderlin 6, Gueye 7, Davies 7, Mirallas 8, Barkley 8, Lukaku 8. Subs: Barry 5.
LEICESTER CITY: Schmeichel 7, Amartey 5, Benalouane 5, Huth 5, Chilwell 5, Albrighton 7, King 6, Drinkwater 5, Gray 6, Slimani 7, Vardy 6. Subs: Mahrez 6, Musa 5, Ulloa 6.
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Everton's English midfielder Tom Davies (2R) is is mobbed by teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Leicester City at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on April 9
Image credit: AFP
KEY MOMENTS
1' - GOAL! EVERTON 1-0 LEICESTER CITY. Mirallas charges onto Lukaku's nod down and surges towards the edge of the box. He tumbles under a challenge but play continues and Tom Davies tucks it in at the near post.
4' - GOAL! EVERTON 1-1 LEICESTER CITY. The Foxes are level. Gray leads a stunning break for the visitors before playing in Slimani to drag his side level with a neat finish.
10' - GOAL! EVERTON 1-2 LEICESTER CITY. Albrighton arcs the left-wing free kick towards the far post and sees it completely bamboozle Joel before dropping into the net! What a start to this match!
23' - GOAL! EVERTON 2-2 LEICESTER CITY. The Toffees equalise and it's that man Lukaku who heads home a sumptuous right-wing delivery from Barkley.
40' - EVERTON CHANCE! Leicester lose the ball clearing the corner as Davies challenges it through to Barkley. He appears to round Schmeichel but the keeper gets a last-ditch hand on it to divert the ball wide.
41' - GOAL! EVERTON 3-2 LEICESTER CITY. Jagielka meets the resulting left-wing corner and puts the home side back in front!
57' - GOAL! EVERTON 4-2 LEICESTER CITY. Lukaku lashes home at the far post after Jagielka had touched on a left-wing corner.
KEY STATS
- Everton have done the league double over Leicester for the first time since 1987.
- Marc Albrighton marked his 100th appearance for Leicester with his first away Premier League goal since Dec 2011 (for Aston Villa at Bolton).
- For the first time since February 5, 2011 (Newcastle United - Arsenal 4-4), there were three goals in the first 10 minutes of a Premier League match.
- Romelu Lukaku is the first Everton player to score in eight successive home games since Fred Pickering in 1964-65.
- Lukaku is the first player to score in seven consecutive PL home matches for his club since Luis Suárez for Liverpool in Oct '13-Jan '14.
- Kevin Mirallas provided two assists in a single PL match for the first time since March 1, 2016 in the 3-1 win at Aston Villa.
- Everton have already scored more league goals at Goodison Park in 2017 (26 in 7 games) than in 2016 (25 in 18 games).
- Everton equalled their club record of winning seven consecutive PL home matches, set between December 2009 to March 2010 and equalled between December 2013 to April 2014.
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