Key events
GOAL! Everton 1-1 Leeds (Barry 76)
Ha! Well that has shut me up. A very similar goal to Leeds’ opener as Gueye makes a run from central midfield down the right wing. A low cross comes towards the near post and Barry stabs a neat finish past Darlow! The stadium erupts!
75 min: Corner for Everton. Dewsbury-Hall can’t beat the first Leeds man at the near post. That is the sort of thing that will keep Moyes up at night.
73 min: Leeds are content to sit in a mid block and let Everton have the ball, they have had 70% possession in this second half. It doesn’t feel like a goal is coming, but I thought that just before Justin gave Leeds the lead.
71 min: Dibling is back from the bogs, and now can come on for Patterson. It looks like a straight swap in Everton’s new 3-5-2 formation. The teenager is going to play as a more attacking right-wing back.
69 min: Dibling was stripped and ready to come on as an Everton sub, but quickly disappears down the tunnel. We’re told that nature has called for the former Southampton man.
67 min: Changes for Leeds, which is perhaps not surprising given the recent Everton revival. Kári Tulinius will be delighted to know that Tanaka has come on for Gruev, who was booked.
65 min: Darlow has barely had anything to do, that was a top stop.
Magnificent save from Darlow!
63 min: Everton so close to the equaliser as Barry tries a trivela shot, bending one with the outside of his boot after a flowing move from Everton. Darlow hurls himself to his right and tips the shot away. Good football all around.
61 min: Much, much better from Everton. Ndiaye wears the No 10 shirt and that’s where the Senegalese is playing, centrally and just behind Barry.
59 min: Ndiaye denied! Say that three times fast. It’s a quite outstanding block from Bornauw, who slides across to get in front of the Afcon winner, who cut inside deliciously on his left foot and looks poised to bend a shot into the corner.
57 min: “Everton’s, shall we say, patchy home form this season makes one wonder if you’re not the only one missing Goodison Park,” emails Daniel Halladay. “That being said, it hasn’t been much of a fortress for Everton women, as they have lost every single home match (including the one played at the Hill Dickinson).”
55 min: Another Leeds booking, this time for Gruev as the Bulgarian stops Ndiaye streaming away on an Everton counter-attack.
53 min: Stach leaves Mykolenko in a heap and gets a deserved yellow card. There is a brief VAR penalty check for an Everton handball inside their own box – it does his an arm but Patterson is judged not to move his towards the ball.
51 min: Everton instantly look like an improved side. Ndiaye beats his marker and plays forward to Barry, who is surely fouled by Bornauw on the edge of Leeds’ area?! No! The referee waves play on! That has got the Everton fans’ back up. All of a sudden we have an atmosphere! We have ourselves a game, ladies and gentlemen!
49 min: Very interesting to see Branthwaite back, his first first-team appearance since May. Could the 23-year-old make a late charge for Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. That said, Guéhi has one of the centre-back slots nailed on but the other is very much up for grabs.
47 min: Up until this point, this has felt a little bit like a Championship contest in terms of the quality and tactics. Lots of hopeful crosses, second balls and one player (Aaronson, in this case) that seems considerably better than the rest.
Peeeeeeep!
We’re underway again on Merseyside.
Everton do indeed make changes, two of them.
Dewsbury-Hall on for McNeil. Branthwaite is on for his first appearance of the season, replacing Armstrong.
That means Everton are switching to a back three, and will match up Leeds’ 3-5-2 formation.
Half-time reading:
Half-time: Everton 0-1 Leeds
Boos ring around the stadium as the home fans give their verdict on Everton’s first-half performance.
45 min: Two minutes added on here. The Hill Dickinson looks like a fine modern stadium but I miss Goodison Park. What a gaff.
44 min: Rodon gives the ball away and Everton pounce! Leeds are out of position in transition and Ndiaye finds Garner with a first-time through ball but the Englishman rather rushes his shot, lacing one into the side netting! Signs of life for Everton.
42 min: The xG for both teams: Everton have 0.1, Leeds have 1.04.
40 min: Not sure I have ever seen Moyes particularly happy, but the Everton manager looks furious in the dugout. His side are badly missing creativity. I would be shocked if at least one of Dibling, Dewsbury-Hall and Rohl don’t come at (or just after) half-time.
38 min: Free-kick to Everton. A rare chance for the hosts to put the ball in Leeds’ box. The set piece is well defended. Everton earn a corner. Leeds’ giant defenders beat Everton’s giant defenders in the aerial duel under the crossbar.
36 min: It’s all Leeds. Everton haven’t had a kick since the fifth minute. Plenty of groans from the home fans who know their side are under the cosh.
Calvert-Lewin hits the post!
34 min: The Leeds striker should score against his former club! Aaronson again finds a pocket of space – where on earth is Gueye or Garner at the base of Everton’s midfield?! – the American feeds Bogle, who sends a deflected low cross into the six-yard box. Calvert-Lewin steals in at the near post but pokes his finish onto the post from just four yards out! That’s a golden chance! Calvert-Lewin knows it, a wry smile as he looks to the heavens.
32 min: Everton are all at sea! Stach and Aaronson are slippery customers and running the shows for Leeds. It’s the American who nearly gets clear of Everton’s defence again as Leeds work it down the left. Aaronson beats Tarkowski but an excellent last-ditch tackle from Patterson gets Everton out of jail!
30 min: Kudos to Rodon in the build-up to that Leeds goal. The Welsh centre-back stepped out of defence and was brave to beat Ndiaye in the air to set Leeds off on the attack. Stach got hold of the ball afterwards.
GOAL! Everton 0-1 Leeds (Justin 28)
The visitors take a deserved lead! Stach sprints down the right wing and delivers a telling low cross to the near post. Calvert-Lewin dummies the cross, with the ball rolling across the six-yard box, and Justin steams in at the back post to sidefoot past Pickford! Aaronson did well to get out of the way of Justin, who did what Bogle failed to do earlier and shoot first time.
26 min: I’ll admit that this hasn’t been a classic so far. Still time for Ndiaye or Stach to bend one into the top corner.
“Ndiaye and Tanaka are two of my favorite players to watch in the Premier League, so I was looking forward to seeing them on the same pitch,” writes Kári Tulinius. “They may not be candidates for the golden boot, but both sow chaos in opposition defenses and create space for their team mates. Here’s hoping Tanaka comes on at some point.”
24 min: Get a load of Rodon’s tattoos. It’s quite the look.
22 min: Mykolenko is lucky to escape a booking for felling Bogle on a dangerous Leeds counter-attack.
19 min: Once again, Aaronson is at the heart of things for Leeds and finds space down the left. And once again, Bogle fails to shoot first-time when the cross comes to him on the edge of Everton’s area. Instead, the wing-back takes a touch and the move breaks down.
I guess that’s what Farke gets for playing a defensive-minded player at wing-back. Bogle is a very capable player but lacks that killer touch and instinct going forward. But then he does put in a decent shift when Leeds are defending. Decisions!
17 min: “I’m quite surprised both teams have been allowed to wear white shorts,” emails Andrew Tate, “presumable that should be a sort of kit-clash, considering footballers would presumably looking down around there for the ball quite a bit?”
It doesn’t actually look too bad on the telly. The differing socks make a difference! I’m not sure how I feel about Everton in an all-blue ensemble. They have done it before but never looks quite right.
15 min: Barry is OK to continue. Beto sits back down on the Everton bench.
14 min: Everton are down to 10 men as Barry receives treatment and Leeds nearly take advantage. A clever flick from Calvert-Lewin releases Stach, who finds Aaronson. An excellent pass finds Bogle on the overlap, but the Leeds wing back takes a touch and allows both Tarkowski and Mykolenko to slide in to take the block! If Bogle had taken a first-time shot, Everton were in trouble.
12 min: A worry for Everton as Barry pulls up and collapses on the ground, clutching his left leg. Beto is sent to warm up.
10 min: Strong start from Leeds, who have been the better side. Aaronson has been particularly lively, floating around in between the lines. Nobody in blue has gotten a hold of him … yet.
8 min: Nearly an opening for Leeds! Calvert-Lewin nearly wriggles free of Everton’s defence to bear down on goal, but O’Brien uses his 6ft6in frame to lean on the Leeds striker, who is put off balance and can only manage a weak toe-poke at Pickford. Good save from the England goalkeeper, who came out quickly there.
6 min: Everton are deep in their own box as Aaronson pulls wide on the left and lays the ball back to Struijk, who blazes wildly over the bar on a rare foray forward from centre-back.
4 min: Jeremy Boyce mentioned pragmatism just before kick-off and I can’t think of any other sides in the Premier League more pragmatic than Everton and Leeds. Lots of balls into the channel, hopeful crosses, battles for the second ball. Everton have certainly bombarded Leeds’ penalty area in these opening minutes with diagonals, long throw-ins and a corner, but the visitors have headed and kicked it away resolutely.
2 min: Ndiaye is straight into the action and cushions a high ball out of the sky like it is a beanbag. Instant control and a mazy run to match to get Everton up the pitch. He’s a special player.
Peeeeeeeeeeep!
We are underway!
The teams are out! Everton in their blue shirts and white shirts, blue socks. Leeds in their famous all-white kit.
There is indeed a minute’s applause for Tommy Wright. There are not many legends bigger than the former full back in these parts.
“Evening Michael, Leeds man/fan here,” writes Jeremy Boyce. “Interesting match tonight. Leeds will want to continue their recent good form with their attack-attack-attack strategy reminiscent of El-Loco’s vintage, albeit with a degree of Farke-ian pragmatism. But tonight they’re up against the ultimate pragmatist in Moyes. A manager who has made his name making silk purses out of sow’s ears, albeit with plenty of mud and bristle attached. For all that, I’m expecting Farke’s boys to come away with something and possibly everything from NotGoodison.”
I’m a neutral but my money is on Everton, for what it is worth. Good luck to both teams.
I enjoyed this on Brenden Aaronson. It could be quite the summer for the USMNT international.
RIP Tommy Wright, whose death was announced last Tuesday.
This is the first Everton game since Wright’s passing, and I would be shocked if the club legend isn’t honoured tonight in some capacity. An FA Cup winner in 1966, league champion in 1970 and regular England international, Wright made 374 appearances for his boyhood club. Born in the Norris Green area of Liverpool, he never played for anyone else but Everton.
“Sometimes it can feel emotionally exhausting to follow a match contested by teams that I immensely like or dislike,” emails Peter Oh. “Every now and then it feels healthy to be able to observe as a neutral without experiencing a spike in blood pressure. This one is a good example. I can just sit back and Ndiaye, I mean, enjoy.”
We are nearing the end of the January transfer window. One move you may have missed is Jack Harrison, who has left Leeds on loan for Fiorentina! Swapping Leeds for Florence is quite the move for the man who can also count Everton as one of his former clubs.
Fiorentina also signed former Leeds winger Manor Solomon this January as they desperately try to fight relegation from the Serie A. You can catch up with all the moves for all the top European leagues, including a nice club-by-club guide, in our snazzy transfer interactive. I have spent more time perusing it than I’d like to admit.
You can also find our women’s transfer interactive, which features every deal in the WSL, NWSL, Liga F, Frauen-Bundesliga, Première Ligue and Serie A Femminile. Wonderful.
Let’s unpick those teams a little.
Not unexpectedly, both Gueye and Ndiaye come straight back into the Everton XI. Rohl can count himself a little unlucky to find himself back on the bench after his Villa heroics, while Barry and McNeil are preferred to Beto and Dibling. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is available again for the first time since 13 December, but is among the subs. As mentioned in the preamble, Grealish is injured. The home side will line up in a 4-2-3-1.
Just as he was in the wins over Derby and Fulham, Darlow gets the nod in net for Leeds. Peek Facundo Buonanotte on the bench for the visitors after his loan move from Brighton – the Argentinian is one of many attacking options available to come on with Piroe, Nmecha, Okafor and Gnonto. Leeds will line up in a 3-5-2, with Bogle and Justin giving the width as the wing backs and Aaronson floating behind Calvert-Lewin.
The teams!
Everton: Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Mykolenko, Gueye, Garner, Ndiaye, Armstrong, McNeil, Barry.
Subs: Travers, Beto, Dibling, Dewsbury-Hall, Coleman, Alcaraz, Branthwaite, Rohl, Aznou.
Leeds: Darlow, Bornauw, Rodon, Struijk, Bogle, Stach, Ampadu, Gruev, Justin, Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin.
Subs: Lucas Perri, Longstaff, Piroe, Nmecha, Okafor, Tanaka, Byram, Gnonto, Buonanotte.
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)
Preamble
Welcome to the Jermaine Beckford Derby!
It’s a big night for both of these sides. Everton will go seventh (!) with victory tonight and David Moyes welcomes back both Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye after their Afcon-winning exploits with Senegal. With Jack Grealish injured, Ndiaye will surely be straight back into the XI, but how Moyes judges the rest of his team will be interesting after the excellent away performance to beat title-chasing Aston Villa last time out. Will Merlin Rohl and Harrison Armstrong retain their places? We will have the team news with the answers just after 7pm GMT.
It’s the worst kept secret in Yorkshire but Leeds are on a bit of a tear at the moment. With just one defeat since November in all competitions, Leeds have won their last two matches, the latter secured by a stoppage-time winner from Lukas Nmecha against Fulham. A win for Leeds this evening could take them eight points clear of the drop zone. Oooof.
This is how the Premier League table looks before kick-off:
All eyes will be on Dominic Calvert-Lewin on his return to Everton. The 28-year-old has eight goals in his last 10 games and will be eager to remind the Everton hierarchy what they are missing. I imagine the striker will get a mixed reception at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, in which he has presumably never set foot.
Kick-off: 8pm GMT.
