Everton endured a tough evening at Elland Road as they conceded late on to suffer a 1-0 defeat.
James Tarkowski conceded a highly controversial penalty, which Lukas Nmecha converted in the 84th minute.
Tarkowski revealed after the game that the referee wasn’t actually convinced it was a handball; it was the linesman who recommended the decision.
David Moyes was furious in his post-match interview, as he couldn’t understand what Tarkowski was supposed to do with his arm.
🗣️ "Tarky would have had to get his arm chopped off!"
David Moyes says he has spoken to the referee about the penalty decision but believes it was really harsh 🔊 pic.twitter.com/vhApzvMA8J
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 18, 2025
View Tweet
Despite a frustrating evening, there were positive performances as one Everton star really impressed on his debut.
Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall covered the most distance in Everton vs Leeds United
Everton signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in a £28m deal from Chelsea earlier this month, fending off competition from West Ham United and Fulham.
Thierno Barry has already been really impressed by Dewsbury-Hall in training, and he certainly had a productive debut for the Toffees this evening, despite the result.
MORE EVERTON STORIES
According to FotMob, the 26-year-old covered the most distance out of every player on the pitch, clocking in 11.3km, which equates to seven miles.
He also recorded a top speed of 27.2 km/h (16.9mph), evincing that he has a good turn of pace for a midfield player.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s impressive stats vs Leeds United
Dewsbury-Hall was the only new signing who started for Everton, so clearly Moyes has a lot of faith in him.
The former Chelsea star produced an industrious performance in the middle of the park, as he won five duels and made two tackles, per Sofascore.
He also made one key pass to Carlos Alcaraz who forced a save out of Lucas Perri, so he could’ve come away with an assist on his debut.
90 minutes
45 touches
79% pass accuracy
1 key pass
5/7 duels won
2 tackles
2 clearances
It’s evident that Dewsbury-Hall will be a fan favourite, he just needs a bit more quality around him to really flourish.