Premier League — Matchweek 21

Burnley winning 1-0 at HT - keep it up, Vincent

This score line suits us, doesn’t it?

If one of them had to win I'd say so Colin, but I would prefer a draw. Our Ross has done well, He controlled the first half.

Win on Sunday. Puts us 4 clear.

How can that goal stand when the keeper was fouled?

Didn't want that.

So when Tarkowski walks away from the goalie it's obstruction. But that's allowed? Pathetic refereeing.

Poor decision, player moved towards keeper and turned his back and made a back for him. A foul..clear ad day.. VAR does it again..

Scrap VAR!!! Re-train the refs!!!

Do something, because it's not working the way it is now.

And people wonder when we say there's an agenda against us.

So yet again, a VAR decision that goes against us after scoring, somehow counts for a team that scores. How the fuck was that goal allowed to stand? The Luton forward clearly saw the goalkeeper coming for the ball and deliberately blocked him off.

I wouldn’t worry about either of these two though, because they are both absolute garbage.

I'd say a draw was the best outcome for us?

Didn't want either of them winning…

Another controversial goal by VAR makes getting rid of it getting more real/ or at least studying these controversial decisions and why its always VAR.making them

That's Burnley adrift.

Get our points back and this is of no concern to us.

Rob Edwards the Luton manager, reluctantly agrees it was a foul, but on the night thinks his team deserved a draw.

What a shambles. Never, never a goal with the benefit of a replay. What is going on?

Didn't watch the match - just seen the Luton's goal and for me this is another awful decision once again, clear foul on the goalie.

Danny, I don't expect any points back.

No problem at all with this result. It's the one that I wanted. It suits us best. We need Burnley and Sheff-Utd to be gone. But here we go again, that was a clear foul on the keeper.

And we will absolutely get some points back. Almost nailed on. Is there something meaningful that makes you think that we will not get anything Paul? Please don't go down the stitch-up conspiracy theory road and see this.in the bigger picture where it belongs.

They're trying to say it was just a coming together, keeper coming out, looking for the ball, the forward turning his back into him.

They can discuss it for hours but, most games I see, the keeper can't be touched – nevermind fouled.

Had the referee disallowed the goal, what would VAR have said? I think VAR would have agreed with the referee.

Caught off side?🤣🤣

If VAR had been scrapped,which is what we want, that goal would’ve still stood, cos the ref gave it, can’t have it both ways.

I think both sides dropping points is good for Everton, I know that Luton are level now, and that by Sunday evening they'll have a game in hand on us, but if we can get something on Sunday and who knows win at Goodison, that'll do for me.

We do need some of those points back though, and the rumours that it will be just four points doesn't cut it for me.

I'm not sure what to make of Luton's late equaliser.

For me I think the goal is perfectly valid.

The goalkeeper Trafford has been poor there, he's weak, he probably doesn't even need to come for that and considering he's quite poor at commanding his area I'm shocked to see him back himself there.

But in the letter of the law with today's goalkeeper being a protected species and VAR then I fully expected it to be ruled out.

The problem they face now of course is every goal that gets scored like that now has to be given, let's see if they are actually going to be consistent with it, I won't be holding my breath.

Thiago Silva goes over the top of the ball and catches Raul Jiminez with a full studs on challenge just above Rauls ankle. Not even a yellow card. To be fair though, a free kick was awarded to Fulham!!

I watched that game Rob and thought that Fulham deserved at least a point for their efforts. Apparently they haven't even scored at Stamford Bridge for ages and haven't won a game there since 1979.

The league table came up at the end of the game, and I was surprised to see Fulham are 8 points ahead of us and Chelsea are within striking distance of a European place. We simply have to win tomorrow, as fewer and fewer of the other fixtures are having an affect on Everton's league placing.

Brentford will have Toney back for the rest of the campaign, so we can't rely on the Bees continuing their poor form. As usual it'll be about what Everton can do, but we have to start taking points from our home fixtures to have a chance, unless all or some of those docked points are reinstated.

Two games in league one abandoned. Bolton v Cheltenham due to a fan requiring emergency medical treatment. Can only have been abandoned for one reason. Meanwhile the game between Reading and Port Vale abandoned due to a pitch invasion, as well as numerous tennis balls being thrown onto the pitch.

This is a good watch with Tony Bellew. Love the bit where he says he would rip slippy’s tongue out…………..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/67959512

Inevitably people will suffer severe health issues or even die during matches.
Harry Catterick and Dixie Dean both died at Goodison but the games were not
suspended let alone called off.

Well it didn’t take long for controversy in the skunks v Man City game. Newcastle score from a clear offside, yet the linesman doesn’t raise his flag until the ball is in the net, whilst at the same time Ederson got injured trying to stop the goal. Looks like he may now have to go off. I wish they would just scrap this carry on play until the flag is raised. It’s fucking ridiculous.

Yep, Ederson going off. Pep will go loopy!!

Quite right too if he does go loopy.
That's Ederson and Stones both out injured due to failure of the linesman to do his job, or the job as it used to be.
The game's going to shit!

Commentators on TNT absolutely throwing Everton under the bus again, as Rob just said about offside thing, kunt keeps saying yeah like john stone injury at efc the bile against Everton is real, why so ?

In an advert before the game, they highlighted a penalty against rs,,??
Hens teeth are seen more,, why is it so one sided ?

Rob, I am sick and tired of seeing players needlessly injured... or just having to sprint 60 yards for nothing... because the ARs have been told to keep the flag down until the play is over. It's moronic, idiotic.

I truly believed Howard Webb would make things better when he took over as head of the refs. But it's worse now than ever. He needs sacking and the PGMOL needs a total reform of its ref procedures. VAR of course, but offside flagging even more.

Brian #32, it isn't the AR's failure. It's what they've been ordered to do.

Oh, that's why x

Crazy goal by Bernardo Silva.

When I say crazy, I mean out of this world. An audacious back heel!

Mike, I know m8 thats why I said "the job as it used to be."
The game's being ruined by a desire to change things before careful consideration and planning has taken place.

Rob, the game itself is crazy. From the sublime to the ridiculous. Stunning skills to daft mistakes. Makes for good watching mind.

Wow. Two extraordinary goals in this game.

Brian, the game's being ruined by smothering the refs with oversight. VAR and procedures should have the effect of supporting the officials, not putting halters on them.

Make it three. Brilliant from Gordon.

The flag then goes up instantly on a marginal call, bent as fuck!

Agreed Mike. 👍

For fuck's sake, the Skunks haven't been in this and now lead 2-1. Two good goals by Isak and Gordon.

They're playing like next goal's the winner!

For fuck's sake, Gordon.

Walker defending was abysmal for both of those goals.

Get your act together, City, the sanity of the western world is in your hands no one else is going to stop the Klopp!

Something really not right with City this season.

The defence looks meek and they don't carry the same auro of previous years.

I'm going 4-3 to City.

The ironic thing is, if Ederson is still on, he saves at least one of the two goals.

Don't think so, Andy. Side netting on both.

Whilst both Newcastle goals were pearlers, I do think the City keeper was wrongly positioned for both. Possibly any keeper would have been beaten by the shots but, if the keeper is a couple of steps across towards the post where the shots went in, he may have got something on either or both.

Quite how City have allowed this game to get away from them, is a mystery. However, it proves, that when chances come along, you just have to bury them, a point not lost on us as Evertonians in recent months and years.

Barry - as well as poor positioning from the keeper, it was also very poor from Walker. For the first he allowed Isak to come inside and he was far too slow to get across to Clare Balding for the 2nd one

Looking at the Newcastle set up the second half, they seem to be playing 4-5-1.

How does Burn. not get yellow there?

Gordon in the Euro squad, nailed on.

How the Hell did Burn not get a yellow for that deliberate take out. Complete joke refereeing once more. Then Silva gets one for no worse.

Wow, how many clear chances is City gonna miss?

Well, that answers that question. Just need to get KDB on the ball after months out. Amazing.

De Bruyne………Unbelievable.

Wow, just wow, what a player and what a pass from Rodri. The Skunks might be level but they are not in City's league. They are getting mauled here.

City are an expensive and corrupt joy to watch when they play like this.

No substitute for a player of KDB's quality..

He put that ball through a space about 12 inches wide under the defender.

Come on, City, beat these please, for fuck's sake.

Yeeeeesssss!

City need to take at least a point here and the crunch game will most definitely be when they go to Mordor.

I'm not disrespectful to Villa but I don't see them winning the Premier League.

To me, it's a shootout between Liverpool and Manchester City but City can ill afford many more fuck-ups.

Wow. Nice finish, but nobody... NOBODY... makes that pass but KDB.

Get in. What a first touch, made Trippier look like a tit and what a fecking ball from KDB, 25 mins, goal and assist. Pep knows how to use subs. It's fecking freezing here. Skunks are a poor second here by a huge distance.

The best thing is those smelly skunks really know deep inside if they have insides that they are second-rate, a world away from city.

Howe compared to Pep?

Yes……fuck off you smelly Skunk bastards.

What a touch of skill to get that ball past the keeper.
Come on now City, keep it tight.

That was a match worth watching.

Specially with that result. 😁😁😁

Oscar Bobb my Lord, Oscar Bobb, Oscar Bobb my Lord, Oscar Bobb...ohhh ohhh Oscar Bobb!!

We might detest City for buying success but what football. What belief. Scintillating.

Brent, I predict that when they get relegated for their rampant financial violations, they'll be right back up.

I don't detest 'em, Brent. I envy them and admire them in equal measures and I'd swap situations with 'em in the blink of an eye.

"1 quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (fresh bottle), • ¼ cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and • 1-2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap."

That's the formula to remove skunk odor. Hopefully, Pep et al got the solution handy lol.

Huff and Puff verses class, and class win in the end with City winning with a substitution that just oozes class and makes City worth watching – and they are still without their #9.

City's second goal was simple but sensational, what a nearly unique football brain De Bruyne has got, then makes a superb pass to a kid I've never heard of, Bobb, who finishes the move superbly.

Now that's what you call football, corruptly gathered together or not.

I'd also swap situations, Brian. And love being detested by others. Imaging watching those players as our players every home game at the new stadium.

It's not often that you get five quality goals in a game and each of them had a case for being goal of the match. I'm going for the last one, because it was so important and the quality of the pass from the Belgian was incredible.

City are a team that is so good at passing the ball, every single one of their players can do it, no worrying about them giving the ball away, too often, and they tackle back like tigers when they do occasionally lose the ball.

Brent @77,

Some fans of other clubs have detested Everton for eons, not sure why in most cases, but as you say, I would love Everton to be in City's situation, with those sorts of players in our squad.

Ah well, back to the reality of where we are, tomorrow, and hoping for a battling victory against the Villains.

Thank the lord for City and redemption.

A timely shot across the bows of the antichrist across the park.

Soren, growing up in the Midwest, we learned to wash the dog in tomato juice whenever she took after a skunk.

Only one win in 6 league games for the Skunks.

Hats off to Man City. They frustrate the hell out of me with their pass, pass, pass obsession but when they get it right it's a thing of beauty to watch.

I don't think any football fan would say anything other than City are fucking unbelievable, but it is their manager who has built this side to play the game he wants to play. When he leaves it will be a different story – he is the best manager in the world, possibly the best there has ever been.

I hear and see the Barcodes fans are saying it is unfair that they are the richest club in the world but they can't spend their money! Only a matter of time, Eddie, I think!

Colin, the pass, pass, pass from City doesn't bother me. I love to see the way they use that to break down a defensive midfield.

That passing isn't ponderous like most teams. It's fast, intricate, takes superb passing skills under pressure, vision and speed of pass execution, superb ball control on receiving the pass, and further speed vision, speed and skill in quickly moving the ball on. Majestic.

No statues in that City side. We seem to have "one of Lewis's" – a few more.

Have to say Antony Gordon's goal was superb.

Mike,

There's been reports that is some cases the tomato juice treatment hasn't been successful, hence the more drastic chemical way 😁.

Oliver,

Agree with you 100% on Pep. Without him City couldn't be like this at all.

Thank god he is in town, otherwise, God forbid, it could be The Shite winning the league every other season!

It’s financial doping on a massive scale that’s built Man City. Without it they’d be nowhere, regardless of who coached them.

Oliver #84.

All they have to do to be able to spend all that dosh is increase their turnover.

So it's just a case of getting more of those big lard arses to buy and wear their effing shirts and they'd make a fortune.

And if financial doping gets you like City,, then roll me a thick one!!

Bobb – another Norwegian wonder kid!

Not a bad glancing header from Richarlison.

Not sure how anyone thinks he'll be coming back to Goodison in this transfer window.

Maybe right at the end of it... when Spurs come visiting on 3 February.

Everton (and Tranmere) fan Mike Dickson, Daily Mail Tennis correspondent, has died while covering the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Joined the Daily Mail age 18 and many glowing tributes including "He was just a brilliant bloke, a class act. It was a privilege to work alongside him and to know him.”

How about that Arsenal goal. Gabriel has both hands on both shoulders of his opponent. How the fuck is that not a free kick?!

There is a good start for the VAR:

Arsenal score, the player has both arms over the Palace player's shoulder, stopping him jumping, but it was okay.

That is another goal that VAR should have disallowed: the Arsenal player was blocking the keeper from coming out

I'm really shocked that first goal wasn't chalked off. Both hands clearly on the shoulders of the defender.

Weirdly there was no reaction from the Palace players. Barely a cheer from the Arsenal fans too mind you. Best guess: the VAR had fallen asleep.

Palace fans holding banners up about how badly their club is being ran.

Not just our fan base then that believes we've been short changed.

And Arsenal just make it 4 in a dreadful game.

I guess Woy will be getting his pension check soon.

Ivan Toney available for Brentfords 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest that kicks off at 5-30 today.

I wonder if any of Toney's gambling charges involved football?

Screamer from Danilo to put Forest ahead.

Bill, I'm gonna be a pain in the arse now, he's called Roy.

I know many say Woy, but we left school years ago.

Spit the dog creaming himself because Toney equalises.

Bill @94,

If they allowed the Luton goal, they would have to allow that one. Wouldn't they?

A knee-high challenge by Danilo, with studs showing, is considered by the VAR to be reckless and nothing else, so only a yellow card is given. Looked quite dangerous to me.

Toney confident there, backed himself to score.

That Chris Wood knows where the onion bag is, doesn't he.

Could've had him instead of Maupay.

Then Maupey goes and gets one!

Why couldn't Maupay score like that for Everton?

Who's that Maupay dude who just scored for the Bees?

Like his goal versus West Ham. Little get.

Two in two for Maupay.

Jusf saw the Gooners score. Roy hanging on there. The good-looking lad who got his P45 from Forest might be in there., 5-0 and neither Saka nor Ooedegard got an assist or goal,

Probably prefer a draw here.

Bill, Maupay scored a similar goal for us against West Ham, funnily enough we gained 3 points from that game with his winner, same as Doucoure's against Bournemouth, so he kept us up equally to Doucoure's. 😜

Why Jeff?

Agreed. A draw suits us better.

Bill #105

Cos he didn't play in a front two with Everton?

Why does a draw suit us better?

Brian, I think both are in the mix at the bottom with us, prefer each to only gain one point on us rather than two.
What do you think?

They'll both be within our reach if they draw this game.

Maupay was never a striker, the fact is he was never and is not a bad football player in the right team.

At Brighton he had a more than respectable goal return.

We decided to play him as a lone front man which was insane, yet more coaching negligence.

Let's be honest, apart from Romelu Lukaku, Everton has long been a strikers graveyard anyway.

Brian #113,

It doesn't. Now that Toney is back Brentford are going to pull clear of danger. Forest losing is the best outcome for us.

We don't need to aim to surpass Brentford. We need to aim to surpass the three below us (obviously) and the team immediately above us (Forest) who, if they lose, are a win above us.

Especially if Forest are to get a points deduction.
We need Forest to get as few points as possible.

Brenda n#117.

Agree 100%

I would not call 26 goals in three years 'a more than respectable return' for a forward.

You often do this, JB, exaggerate or play down something to try and score a point against us. God knows why. 10 minutes the game has gone mad. We need Brentford to win this.

Brentford have lost their last five league games. After today, their next six games are Spurs (A), Man City (H & A), Wolves (A), RS (H) and West Ham (A).

I can't see much of a return in the way of points there, maybe at West Ham they will get something.

Rob #121

Your attention to detail is... quite worrying actually.

Paul,

English please.

Brian,

The more teams involved in the relegation dog fight, the merrier. That's what I think.

Soren 124, that's also my way of thinking, the more teams in the mix the better for us to to have teams to target.

Palace, Forest, Brentford, for me, they are better being in the mix and attainable to get past. If we get say 5 or 6 points back, they could end up below us. As you say, the more the merrier.

Brendan, if you mean by me saying Brentford have, or rather had, lost their last five league games, and who their next six games are against, then there was no need for research, seeing as all the information was shown by Sky on the screen during the match.

If you use pure logic and pure maths, laws of probability etc etc (I know) then a Forest defeat is the best outcome for us. 😁

Brendan, our Rob is dead good at real footy: he knows everything and goes everywhere and works out every angle that affects us mate. Problem is, he aint very good at fantasy footy.

JB, if you need that message deciphered into English, I can give you some night classes and a copy of my book that's coming out on February 29.

Can't disagree with that Brian.

Trippier going to Bayern, is this true?

Naw Paul #128

Rob's way too young!

Paul #128

Not to be good at fantasy football...I mean.

Paul

spot on. I find it funny that somebody who regularly slags off DCL would defend the hopeless Maupay...Because he was expected to play up front on his own. Priceless.

Biffa, Andy Johnson and to a lesser extent Marcus Bent, all scored goals before they got here. Yet they were all asked to sacrifice their own game in order to get the team up the park.

The Yak was the best finisher we've had for years. He simply refused to chase those Moyes percentage balls into the corner flags. He forced team mates to stop aimlessly hoofing it.

Moyes changed tack. The players he signed and brought through were more creative. Baines, Pienaar, Mirallas, Osman, Barkley, were more creative.

People pine for Lukaku. He scored more than the others, but he played with some of our most creative players in the past 20 years and dear me did he still miss some absolute open goals. He has done this throughout his career. He's still doing it now. How badly has he cost Belgium's golden generation ? In virtually every big game. Imagine him playing in todays Everton team ?

It wasnt just Maupay who has struggled in a team which employed a system that isolates its strikers to the point of loneliness. He's just the latest to try and fail.

I can just about accept Dyches methods of it staves off relegation, but Gerd Muller would struggle to score goals in this set up

Dave 134, taking it back further than der bomber I wonder how many Dixie would get in this team, we play with 2 wide men, who very rarely actually cross the ball, DCL makes a move, Harrison and McNeil check back, or run up blind alleys (Harrison particularly) DCL is making the moves,the ball just isn’t coming, any attacker in this set up would struggle and plenty have.

No game for the Blues but both results have gone their way that keeps Palace and Forest part of the mix.

Everton have to do their bit in the next game against Fulham. C.O.Y.B.

Dave (134),

It is interesting you bring up Neil Maupay, he is still an Everton player until 2025, with the option of another year… yes, I know!

Yet we need money so we could recuperate a few £M on Maupay before his contract is up; every little pound helps – especially with the financial state we are in.

Not Premier League, I know, but former blue Ryan Ledson having a Michael Keane moment to gift Leeds the win.

Give the lad a break, Allen. That was never an intentional handball. The game's gone crackers.

WHU 1 up. Cornet.

Ammers lead the blades!

You gotta laugh at the West Ham fans, singing “Champions of Europe, we know what we are”. Hilarious!

No Les, of course it wasn't intentional, just a bit careless . Thought he had a good robust game till then. Tough on PNE.

Of course Diaz scored.

Dan, a few have been saying for the past 2 years he'd be worth a punt. But as we know Everton never overload the goals department.

Is Ings wearing a wig or has he had a hair transplant lately lol?

Ffs. Anyone who's had even the slightest link with us in the past and then goes on to score for someone else is used to have a go at the club.

He did fuck all at Villarreal but nobody came on and said "Ooh we avoided a banana skin not signing him."

Brian, it's all very well smashing home a rebound from about three yards, which is what Diaz did.

However, in the second half, he was clean through one-on-one with the goalie, and clearly onside, and scuffed his shot horribly wide. Definitely dodged a bullet by not signing him.

Diaz is shite. Slow and ponderous. Not a good finisher either.

Pen for hammers, woohoo!

JWP scores.

2-1 West Ham. Penalty by JWP.

Rob, Soren -got to agree on Diaz. He looks like a weed-smoking student.

Eddie, there is a reason why Marcelino wants to get rid of him ASAP.

Shit!! How is that ONLY a yellow for Brewster ffs!!!?

VAR intervenes now.

Ex RS Brewster shown a yellow for a career threatening challenge. Now being reviewed by VAR, and should be overturned to a red. Now sent off!

Coufal now red carded.

FFS! Pen for Sheffield!

Soren Moyer @146,

Ings, something has gone on with his head, deffo! These hair transplants, do you need a specific donor or will any Poodle do?

Ray, lol. No idea mate,

Crazy end to that game. Thought the penalty was a bit harsh on West Ham as the goalkeeper Areola appeared to be blocked off by McBurnie, with Areola taking a whack in the face off McBurnie, and having to go off.

Blades score the penalty but then West Ham appeared to have a strong case for a penalty down the other end, with Bowen being dragged to the floor. Six minutes were added on at the end, with the game finishing in the 14th minute of added-on time!

Soren (146), I think Ings's Irish jig got the MotM award.

Remember that Joke shop in Dale Street, the Wizards Den? I think that's where they get the Premier League's referees from. Jesus they go from bad to worse, although that match deserved a referee like today's, it was as poor as the referee, who gave a penalty that wasn't and denied a penalty that was.

West Ham are 6th in the league, shows you how bad the Premier League really is.

Dave,

I was thinking the same. If these are the next generation of Premier League referees, then we should find another sport as this is as bad as it could get IMO!

Now, come on, fecking Cherries.

Rob & Brian. It's a weekly feature with Joe @145.

Last week, it was O'Hare of Coventry – who has never scored more than five in a season in the Championship or League One, but he bagged two against Leicester.

That may be the first goal Diaz has ever scored in the Premier League, but surely you agree that we have missed yet another "hidden gem"?

Dave, Rob and Brian,

I didn't fawn over O'Hare, I was just using his well-taken goals as example of there being talent in the Championship. Which there is, and he's not even a striker.

And yes I still think Brereton Diaz is an okay player, not a hidden gem, and given we score so few goals every season, yes, I still think he could have been a squad player.

I do feel there is talent in the lower leagues which Everton will need to look at more in the future.

What strikes me is they all seem to be able to hit a ball harder than Calvert-Lewin?

It's one of footballs great mystery why our centre forward never seems to be able to strike through the ball cleanly.

Going back a couple of days to the Brentford - Forest match, I've noticed that Forest have written to Howard Webb re Ivan Toney's shennagins over moving the ball before taking the free kick which he scored.

Their manager is one Nuno Espirito Santo, who in August 2018 was the manager of Wolves when, in the first match of the season against us, we saw Neves do far worse by moving the ball forward for the free kick which he subsequently scored.

Referee for our match was Craig Pawson who continues to take inept refereeing to Hollywood levels. Quite amusing really.

Jon (164),

It is also surprising that, when that moving of the ball was questioned, the reply was that VAR doesn't look at incidents like that, yet it looks at players fingernails to see if they are offside!!

Wolves look like they will be out of reach. Oneill has their 343 in good form.

I watched the Brighton v Wolves game last night, and Gary O'Neill really impresses me every time I watch any of his sides. He took over Bournemouth and guided them well clear of relegation last season; I was amazed when they sacked him at the end of last season.

But he took over at Wolves the day before the season started and has got them into 11th position. They more than held their own against Brighton and had the best chances to win the game in the 2nd half. Yet you hardly hear his name being mentioned when pundits talk about managers. I would love to see what he could do with a top club.