Contributions from our editorial team and featured columnists.
Everton dominated possession from the start and James McCarthy gave Everton an early lead inside 10 mins. Lukaku struck just after the break to make it 2-0 in a very comfortable victory that underlined the tremendous changes wrought this season, Roberto Martinez leading his new club into Europe on the back of a Premier League record 72-point haul.
A moment of magic from Ross Barkley fired Everton into a wonderful early lead, as he clipped a beautiful first-time shot way beyond Hart and into the top corner of the net from a difficult angle, a brilliant goal off Naismith's cross ball. Aguero then equalized with ease on Howard's near post. Dzeko then easily nodded in to put the visitors ahead and then made it 3-1 for City after Naismith had been denied. Everton looked out of ideas but a great Baines cross was powered in off the post by Lukaku to set up a high-tempo finish.
Antolin Alcaraz gave Southampton a shocking early lead when he headed a cross from Lambert past Howard to put a massive dent in Everton's fading Champions League hopes. The Blues huffed and puffed for half-an-hour before Coleman decided he could do it too, stooping to head a cross past Howard for the second unbelievable own-goal! Game over, apart from a few denied penalty calls and a wrong offside decision on a day nothing went Everton's way.
Everton rather struggled for possession but a Lukaku shot drew handball and a penalty, nicely converted by Baines. More Man Utd pressure, but a deceptively simple move saw Coleman play in Mirallas for a superb finish from a very narrow angle to end a very pleasing half were Everton had not played well but done more than enough. Everton grew in confidence during a solid second half and gave Moyes the bloody nose he fully deserved.
Crystal Palace went into a shock lead on 22 mins after holding off some spirited Everton attacks. Puncheon slotting home after Howard was forced to parry a wicked Bolaise cross to Chamahk. After the break, Naismith on but Palace poured forward and Scott Dann scored a second goal from a corner. It was scrappy when it finally came, but a decent cross to the far post by Mirallas stood up nicely for Baines to head back in and there was Naismith to bundle it across the line. Fighting for the equalizer, Everton were stunned when Jerome scored to put the game out of reach despite a clever goal from Mirallas.
Still no Phil Jagielka for Everton but Gerard Deulofeu gets a starting place, with McGeady, Mirallas and Barkley starting the game against Sunderland on the bench. Naismith blasted over a super chance in the first half, which ended goalless. Naismith missed a gift through poor execution. With the game heading for a draw, Deulofeu's magic earned a rather lucky own-goal off Wes Brown.
A tremendous domineering performance by the Blues that totally destroyed Arsenal, their biggest win over the Gunners in 25 years, and fine revenge for that galling FA Cup Quarterfinal defeat.
Roberto Martinez selected the same starting line-up for today's early kick-off at Craven Cottage. But Everton struggled against a spirited Fulham side who spurned a lot of well-created chances in a difficult first half. Naismith came on for Barkley and scored within 5 mins, although it will be given as an own-goal by Stockdale. Fulham equalized with a tremendous shot from Dejagah but Naismith inspired Everton, then McGeady came on and played in Mirallas for a fine finish. Then Naismith scored himself before hitting the post to seal a very important win for Everton.
The start to the game was poor and it looked like a stalemate could ensue until Barkley was tripped by Chico and Baines scored from the spot. But a simple move saw Bony equalize just after the half-hour and Swansea dominated the rest of the half. Everton were still poor after the break until Lukaku finally powered home a good low cross from Mirallas. Then Barkley nodded a corner in from close range to finally give Everton a decent margin until Williams powered in a header off the bar in added time.
The game got off to a strange start for Everton playing well until Arsenal worked their way forward, McCarthy slipped, Carzola played in Ozil, and the first goal was scored. Far, far too easily. Everton struggled to get back into it until a good long run from Barkley ended with an excellent ball to Mirallas at the far post but it hit his heel and spun nicely for Lukaku to tap in from close range and put Everton on the scoreboard. In the second half, a penalty called against Barry put Arsenal ahead again. Everton struggled to reassert themselves but ended up conceding two more and the dream was well and truly over.
Another huge uphill struggle for the Blues to penetrate a resolute West Ham defence seemed headed for a 0-0 draw but the simplest of moves, the easiest of plays, a low cross in from Baines, a perfect supply ball for substitute striker Everton have missed so badly, and Wham Bam! Thank you, West Ham!! A very well taken goal by Romelu Lukaku, finally breaking the interminable deadlock with less than 10 mins left.
A hamstring problem forced Lacina Traore to be withdrawn from the starting line-up selected by Roberto Martinez after he announced a side that featured one change, with Leon Osman in for Ross Barkley. Everton played very well in the first half but could not create a goal for all their efforts. The game carried on with Everton edging possession buyt ended in added time when Terry lunged in on Howard, forcing a stupid error as good free kick flew in to the Everton net off his foot.
Everton had stumbled through somewhat unconvincingly to the last eight of the venerable old competition
After four chances for Osman in the first 7 mins, the game turned in the second half on a crucial free-kick taken quickly by Spurs as Everton slept, Adebyaor smashing the ball past Howard. Martinez tried to rescue the game but his substitutions were way too late and if anything disrupted any rhythm Everton had. A miserable defeat that surely ends Everton's challenge.
Everton dominated play but Villa scored on the break after dispossessing Barkley, Bacuna driving the ball through Howard's legs. It had been one-way traffic and that continued until the disciplined Villa defence was finally punctured by Naismith on as a sub with a fine finish to level the game. Kevin Mirallas then pulled something out of the textbook with an absolutely superb free-kick executed to perfection from a very long way out to give the Blues a massive one-goal victory.
Everton did their best to match an impressively urgent Liverpool start that eventually saw them take the lead off a quality Suarez corner powered in at the near post by Gerrard. Sturridge made it two with frightening ease, then minutes later scooped a clever lob over Howard to make it three as Everton looked lost at sea in the pouring rain. Osman replaced Pienaar and almost scored just before Jagielka gifted the ball to Suarez and the fourth goal was inevitable. Sturridge missed his hat-trick, firing a penalty over the bar, and Liverpool relaxed a little leaving Everton to play out the half, pride heavily bruised.
Everton suffered an early fright when Robles dropped the ball but the Blues went up the other end and scored through Naismith in their first attack. But Oviedo in a heavy clash with Heslop appeared to break his ankle! Osman on in his place, set up Naismith for the second goal off a nice through-ball. Heitinga, on as sub for Jagielka, scored the third. Gueye came on and scored the fourth after Naismith was denied his hat-trick by the officials.
Everton struggled to really impose their superiority on a determined if limited WBA side in the first half, until some direct football from Distin up to Lukaku played in Mirallas who fired home well to give Everton a very welcome half-time lead. West Brom responded after the break, Anichebe coming on, and Everton failing completely to press any advantage, with Martinez guilty of not making changes until far too late, after the home side got the equalizer their determined play had long threatened. Two more points lost.
Roberto Martinez was forced to make changes as injuries cut deep into the squad of players he had available for this fixture . Barkley and Alcaraz were out but Jagielka returned as Aiden McGeady made a surprise introduction to the crowd. Everton totally dominated and went ahead on 23 mins off an excellent strike form Gareth Barry. Mirallas scored the second in fine style with an excellent free-kick won by Baines; the football at times was just scintillating.
A lively first-half saw Mirallas smack fearsome shots into both the crossbar and the post as Stoke held out until the break. Stoke took the lead when Assaidi beat Howard with a crisp shot that meant Everton would need to be even more creative in attack. but they were blocked away countless times as they chased the game until sub Osman won a penalty in added time that Baines smacked home to rescue a point from a very difficult game that would see the Blues slip back into 5th place.
A great individual goal from Coleman after just 9 mins set the Blues off nicely but they could not find a path through a solid Saints defence before the break. The visitors made it tough in the second half and equalized through a long-distance strike by Ramirez that fooled Robles. But Lukaku restored the lead after great work from Pienaar and McCarthy to secure a very important 3 points that put Everton into the top 4.
A massive and unbelievable cock-up by Osman and a red card for Howard. Everton down to 10 men. Penalty for Sunderland. Everton battled away against the odds, and came very close but for the defiance of Mannone in the Sunderland goal.
The second half saw sumptuous football from Everton that finally delivered with a pile-driver from Coleman but Tiendalli somehow powered home a deflected goal off Oviedo as the rain poured down. It came down to Barkley and an absolutely brilliant free-kick curled over and around the wall, in off the bar.
Roberto Martinez made some interesting choices, starting both young stars Barkley and Deulofeu for the first time, while resting Mirallas, with McCarthy forced to sit this one out on his 5th yellow card of the season. Leon Osman made his 300th senior start for Everton, and scored the first goal inside 20 mins with an elegant curler after neat footwork. Everton were shockingly poor after the break and Fulham equalized off a strange penalty, but Coleman thankfully smashed home after great work by Lukaku and Pienaar. Then Barry nodded one in from close range, followed by an excellent low strike from Mirallas and suddenly it was an excellent result.
The next big test for Roberto Martinez, after the fantastic performance and result at Old Trafford, was at leaders Arsenal. With Leighton Baines still out, the manager has made no changes to the side that started against Man Utd. Everton put in a superb display for the first 40 mins, but lacked the killer final touch. Martinez dallied with his second-half subs while Wenger made three and eventually went ahead through Ozil. But Deulofeu finally figured out how to score one-on-on, scooping a brilliant strike over Szczesny.
With no fresh injury concerns, Roberto Martinez named an attacking midfield with Ross Barkley restored to the side, but electing to bench weekend stars Leon Osman and Gerard Deulofeu. Everton faded after a really bright start, ceding possession too easily and not making the most of some excellent counter-attacking moves. If ever a game was crying out for the magic of Gerard Deulofeu... but it was Bryan Oviedo who finally hammered the ball home past De Gea with just 5 mins left to produce a fantastic and eagerly anticipated victory for Blues fans everywhere.
With Barkley and Mirallas on the bench, Deulofeu, Osman and Oviedo started in a surprising squad rotation by Roberto Martinez. Everton dominated play but it required some sheer magic from Deulofeu dancing through the Stoke City defence, lovely exchanges with Pienaar and Barry, to finish brilliantly into the roof of the net. Fantastic skill. Coleman made it two after a great throw-out to Deulofeu, chipping Begovic. Oviedo then skipped beyond his marker and lashed a fantastic daisy-cutter in off the foot of Begovic's post. Another beautiful move initiated by a superb ball from Osman once more set Oviedo on his way down the left, he did brilliantly to check, turn and lay on an easy tap-in for Lukaku.
Ross Barkley started the first Merseyside derby of the Roberto Martinez era, with Deulofeu and Osman on the bench. The first corner for Liverpool was easily converted by Coutinho all alone at the far post to give Liverpool a shocking early lead. But Mirallas equalized very strongly inside 3 minutes, powering in at the far post. Then a foul by Distin on Suarez set up a free-kick that the Uruguayan curled brilliantly around the Everon wall and beyond Howard, just inside the post. After relentless Everton pressure in the second half, Lukaku, who had been poor, finally drove the ball past Mignolet. And 10 mins later, off a brilliant corner, Lukaku powered home an excellent Duncanesque header. It looked like this was the winner but Sturridge came on and glanced home another silly free-kick given away by Distin to level the scores in a tremendous game that Everton should have won.
A really disappointing game that belied Everton's dominance in terms of possession coupled with a maddening inability to carve out a single worthwhile goalscoring chance.
Match summary from Everton's handsome win at Villa Park
Match summary from Everton's 2-1 home win over Hull City.
Match summary of Everton's 3-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Match Summary of the 3-2 win over Newcastle
Season 2012-13 column articles Season 2011-12 column articles Season 2010-11 column articles Season 2009-10 column articles Season 2008-09 fan articles Season 2007-08 fan articles Season 2006-07 fan articles
Fan Articles are authored by outside contributors. Their views may not represent those of the site owners.
Get rid of these ads and support ToffeeWeb
Bet on Everton and get a deposit bonus with bet365 at TheFreeBetGuide.com
View full table
We use cookies to enhance your experience on ToffeeWeb and to enable certain features. By using the website you are consenting to our use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy.