Everton FC correspondent Joe Thomas reflects on a thrilling night on the Liverpool waterfront
Jake O'Brien celebrates after scoring Everton's second goal against Manchester City. Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP via Getty Images
Jake O'Brien celebrates after scoring Everton's second goal against Manchester City. Photo by PETER POWELL / AFP via Getty Images
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Maybe no-one wants to read this because the final seconds of the draw with Manchester City were tough and that sublime Jeremy Doku goal does have consequences for Everton.
It was also the third costly stoppage time goal the side has conceded in three weeks and, as good as Everton were on Monday night, errors at both ends of the pitch meant that, once again, the Blues have to accept some responsibility for their downfall.
But now we have all caught our breath after that stunning second half, there is a wider picture to take heart from, however galling the inability to secure three points was.
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There are several positives to take from an exhilarating night on the Liverpool waterfront. One that stood out to me was just how good the atmosphere was once Everton found their way back into a game against a team littered with world class stars and which can be unstoppable when they get going.
For about half an hour of that second half - from the belief installed when Iliman Ndiaye missed his first one-on-one to the devastating moment Doku’s equaliser curled inside the far post, Hill Dickinson Stadium was rocking.
The noise from the South Stand was immense as Thierno Barry levelled, as Jake O’Brien put Everton ahead and then when Barry made it three. It stayed that way right until the end. The stadium was, of course, built with nights like that in mind. The intention at the heart of the structure was to create a wall of noise that bristled with hostility and passion.
Monday night was the latest indication Dan Meis had achieved that goal. It was the latest evidence to show it works, too. City were blown away across that frenetic 20 minutes or so, as Ndiaye missed two one-on-ones and Everton scored three goals. The players no doubt fed off the energy reverberating around the stands and it acted as rocket fuel for those in Royal Blue while amplifying the doubt that gripped hold of the visitors despite their illustrious experience.
This was not the first time. The last three home games have seen Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City visit. Against Chelsea, the atmosphere at the start was electric and Everton started fast. It was the same against Liverpool. The difference was that Everton got the goal their start deserved against Chelsea, whereas in the Merseyside derby they missed several good chances, had a goal disallowed and a good shout for a penalty waved away. Liverpool took advantage of the reprieve and changed the game with their opening goal but even then it took injuries to two of Everton’s best performers and a stoppage time goal to stop the Blues from taking what would have been a deserved point.
Against Man City, with no tifos, flag displays or coach welcomes, the atmosphere was less intense and it was cowed further by City’s composed, ball-hogging start. But it was there and the minute the players began to play with belief the supporters made their presence felt.
Monday nights have been an enemy of Everton’s this season and they remain a nightmare served upon Everton fans too often. That felt more like Goodison Park under the lights than anything Hill Dickinson had served up previously and after months of fear the move might have come at a severe cost in terms of atmosphere, Everton have now had a run of fixtures that suggest home is starting feeling like home.
Central to the performance that helped build that support was the work of Tim Iroegbunam, Merlin Rohl and Thierno Barry. Their influence under such pressure and in such a big game is another positive. Iroegbunam has had a good season after difficult moments earlier in the campaign and has been one of the few squad players to get consistent minutes. He was excellent and deserved his man of the match award. There is a cruel irony that Doku’s equaliser came in time added on because he was hurt, just like Virgil van Dijk’s winner came in the extra minutes that covered Jarrad Branthwaite being carried off in a stretcher.
Rohl was brilliant in the away win at Aston Villa in January but had barely been seen since, while Barry has had, to put it mildly, some tough months on and off the pitch. For them to have such a big contribution is a major boost to hopes the wider squad is growing as this season goes on.
It needs to grow, too. This is a squad in transition and one coming from a very low base. We know it has its flaws and some of them again proved costly on Monday. They need to be acknowledged and examined if Everton are to keep pushing forward.
But for all the realisation that Everton were again complicit in their own downfall, and for all the understandable disappointment that caused, there has to be an awareness of the positives when they do emerge. It will be of small comfort to Moyes, his players and, to be honest, most supporters but that was an amazing Everton comeback, in an amazing match, played in an amazing stadium, in an amazing atmosphere created by an amazing fanbase. In recent days the anniversaries have passed for massive May results that saw Everton clinch survival-boosting outcomes against the likes of Chelsea and Leicester City, with that 5-1 win at Brighton on the horizon too.
This was a big performance on a big night in May and, while it may not be enough to carry Everton into Europe, it is a damn sight more enjoyable fighting for midweek football on the continent than it was to avoid tough Tuesday nights in the Championship.