Match Report

Everton lost a fourth successive home fixture for the first time since 1958 as bottom club Southampton came from behind to win a game that was played out against the backdrop of supporter discontent and a vacant Directors’ Box.

With a protest at the Board’s leadership of Everton planned for after the final whistle, the club released a statement before the match saying that its directors had been advised to stay away from Goodison Park due to a “credible threat” to their safety.

Meanwhile, on the pitch, the mess that the Blues have become under Farhad Moshiri’s ownership was laid bare once more, with Frank Lampard powerless to prevent his charges from slumping to what was their seventh defeat in eight games despite taking the lead through the imperious Amadou Onana.

The Belgian, so impressive in defeat at Manchester United in the FA Cup eight days ago, was brilliant again today and was rewarded with a goal from a towering first-half header that should have been the platform from which Everton could have gone on to win the game.

However, yet more calamitous defending and a mindless challenge from substitute Anthony Gordon that set James Ward-Prowse up for the winner saw the lead evaporate and the Toffees descend into crisis on and off the pitch.

Despite being stretchered off at Old Trafford with what looked to be a nasty ankle injury, Alex Iwobi returned to the starting XI along with Dominic Calvert-Lewin who came off the bench in the Cup tie as Lampard retained faith in a back five formation.

And while there wasn’t much fluidity to their play in what was an occasionally scrappy affair, the early signs were decent enough for the hosts, with Calvert-Lewin guiding a header towards Gavin Bazunu that was comfortably caught and Demarai Gray ending up on the end of a nice move but his shot cleared the crossbar from a tight angle.

Southampton, who came into the fixture on a two-game winning streak in the cups, one of them an impressive quarter-final victory over Manchester City, almost capitalised on yawning gaps in Everton’s back line in the 21st minute but the chance was eventually snuffed out.

But they came perilously close to scoring a few minutes later when Ward-Prowse fed the ball to Mohamed Elyounoussi and his shot too a heavy deflection off Vitalii Mykolenko, looped towards the far post but eluded Che Adams and dropped wide.

Mohammed Salisu met the resulting corner with a header but Jordan Pickford parried it on the line and the danger was averted before Idrissa Gueye was muscled off the ball in midfield and Danilo’s subsequent shot drifted over the crossbar.

Everton broke the deadlock, though, with seven minutes left in the half. Some neat footwork from Demarai Gray ended with his attempted cross being blocked behind and from the winger’s corner, Onana fought his way to meet the in-swinger and planted a downward header home off Bazunu’s glove.

It was his first goal for the club and a potential mood changer if Everton could have hung on but after Pickford had been forced into a stoppage-time save, pushing a Ward-Prowse shot onto the post at the end of the first half, they had tossed the lead away with less than a minute gone of the second.

A simple Adams flick-on past James Tarkowski found Ward-Prowse in plenty of space to draw a sliding block attempt from Ben Godfrey and then stroke the ball past the helpless Pickford to make it 1-1.

Everton briefly rallied, with Iwobi’s tenaciously to chase down Pickford’s long ball but Gray spurned the opening with a tame 25-yard shot while a marauding run by Godfrey saw him set up Calvert-Lewin just outside the box but his shot took a vital deflection off a defender’s out-stretched leg and smacked off the underside of the crossbar and away from goal.

With 20 minutes to go, Godfrey came very close to opening his own account for Everton when Onana curled a teasing ball into the box that Bazunu could only get his fingertips to but it was enough to deceive Godfrey at the back post who couldn’t adjust in time to barrel the ball past the right side of the upright.

Lampard had tried to change the course of the game by throwing Gordon for Seamus Coleman but instead of making the difference at the Gwladys Street End, he played an important role in Southampton’s winner with a clumsy and needless foul on Adams that gave the visitors a free-kick in prime Ward-Prowse territory.

With Pickford and his wall all at sea, the one-time England man simply picked his spot and drove the ball into the left-hand side of the goal as the goalkeeper stood rooted to the spot.

The closing stages were desperate from the Blues as they vainly tried to plunder an equaliser with Ellis Simms introduced for Gueye but though they got into a couple of good areas for Gordon to send in crosses and Tarkowski tried to steer a loose ball home from about 12 yards out, they didn’t really look capable of scoring a second.

For the third time since Christmas, the players left the Goodison Park pitch with the frustration, ire and boos of the fans in their ears before the demonstrations of disaffection with an absent Board took centre-stage behind the Gwladys Street goal.

Change may well come at the club in the coming days with Lampard’s days as boss surely numbered. Everton urgently need an injection of goals in the transfer market and a change in ideas in the dugout.

Off the pitch, it’s hard to see the kind of wholesale shifts in culture and leadership that is required coming in time to stave off relegation to the second tier for the first time in 72 years.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

Everton took the lead against Southampton in this vital relegation clash but were stunned by two second-half goals from Ward-Prowse that left them and the Goodison crowd reeling as they staged a massive post-match sit-in.  

The atmosphere for this mid-season game had been ramped up by a series of events which only emphasise the extreme importance of the result.

To achieve that result, Frank Lampard has gone with three changes from their last Premier League game - the 4-1 loss at home to Brighton.

Amadou Onana, Ben Godfrey and Seamus Coleman come in while Alex Iwobi starts despite being an injury concern after injuring his ankle in the FA Cup loss at Manchester United. No place for Anthony Gordon, who starts on the bench. 

Southampton kicked off but soon stopped with an injury to Godfrey after he fell awkwardly. Southampton restarted and overlapped down the right, Tarkowski coming across with a great sliding tackle to stall them. But Saints saw most of the play in the first 5 minutes.

A couple of balls were swung in toward Calvert-Lewin , Pickford playing it long, but he was either not fit enough or not alert enough to get on the end of them as he was easily marshalled by the Saints defence. 

Everton worked it well down the right but Ward-Peters slid in on Coleman, giving away a free-kick that was swung in by Gray and cleared. Adams then fouled Tarkowski in what was becoming a very scrappy game. 

 Onana was the next to make a vital tackle on Walker-Peters but Calvert-Lewin was offside for the through ball. 

Lavia then grabbed Onana's shirt and he got an early yellow card. The free-kick was delivered right onto Calvert-Lewin's head but he didn't catch it well enough and it was easily saved.  

Everton got some possession but did their daft sideways and backwards until Pickford hoofed it upfield. But the vistors' defence was too solid. The Blues eventually tried to play forward ball and Gray darted onto a great ball from Mykoleno but was driven too wide to convert.

Saints did get into the Everton area and looked very dangerous but somehow Everton cleared and went on to build a decent attack with Mylenko overlapping but his cross was blocked away and the Blues went backwards and around again. 

Tarkowski tried to power past Lyanko and won the foul. Gray's free-kick was easily picked out of the air. But Gray won it back and Onana decide to lash a shot vaguely goalwards and wide.

But Southampton somehow failed to score when Ward-Proswse's shot was deflected almost in at the far top corner,  Salisu powered a fierce header at Pickford from the Saints corner. That's two warnings in the space of 30 seconds. 

Everton built a much better higher-tempo attack that forced a corner, Calvert-Lewin getting close but not close enough to Gray's decent delivery. At the other end, Salisu put a shot over as the visitors had a spell of attacking. 

Everton built another attack but Gray could only win a corner off Walker-Peters. And Onana edged back off his marker to nod a fine outswinger from Gray down past Banuzu and into the net – his first goal for Everton and he really took it well. 

Gray was fouled and put another ball onto Onana's head at the far post, that Bazunu had covered but then lost off the knee of a defender but no Everton player could get a boot to it. 

Iwobi advanced and tried a curler that didn't curl in quite enough. But somehow Southampton got through and Ward-Prowse placed a perfect shot low into the corner but Pickford got down with an incredible save onto the post concede a late corner that Onana headed clear. 

Everton had dominated large parts of the play in a much higher-tempo half that had been played mostly on the front foot, and fully merited their slender lead.

Everton restarted but Ward-Prowse soon made up for it, pouncing on a perfect knock-down from Adams and evading a blocking tackle by Godfrey to drive it with ease past Pickford, leaving Everton with it all to do again. 

It was a massive blow to the Blues who had to quickly regroup but it was Southampton who won a corner, headed away by Onana and Walker-Peters fouled Calvert-Lewin. But Everton failed to take the ball forward as the Saints blocked off all avenues. 

Iwobi did exceptionally well to win the ball off Salisu and then feed Gray but his shot was very disappointing. We know he can do so much better. Ben Godfrey then drove forward and played in Calvert-Lewin whose deflected shot looked to be floating in but smacked off the bar!!!

Gray was rugby-tackled by Diallo but his free-kick was cleared. Onan and Iwobi tried to keep the pressure on until Saints countered but the Blues fell back well. 

Coleman had to shoulder-barge Edozie over into the area, and was a ittle lucky not to get it called as a penalty. Ward-Peowse's corner was fired over at tremdous pace. 

Immediately after Saints subs, Godfrey had to get down well to block Armstrong's first attempt as Blues struggled to get the same forward momentum and instead resorted to frightening turnovers. From one, Ward-Prowse fired in a dangerous strike that Pickford tracked all the way. 

Everton's attacking zeal had flagged badly and Lampard pondered  that perhaps he might use one of his nine subs just as Armstrong got behind Coady who did well to recover.

Everton worked up a decent counter until Gray lost it and more minutes ticked by with Everton struggling to control the game. Onana went on a good run and Diallo saw yellow for pulling him back. 

Onana put in a brilliant cross that saw Cavert-Lewin challenge Banuzu who got a touch that made it very difficult for Godrey to control at the far post.

Cavert-Lewin did very well to get behind and tried to find Gordon with a low cross but again Banuzu touched the ball away from him.

Gordon looked to advance but Salisu easily blocked him. Diallo fouled Gana for a distant free-kick that Gray sent in deep for a corner with Onana coming around the back. 

Gray's corner was cleared and then Saints were on the break, Gordon giving away a poor free-kick in a very dangerous location. Ward-Prowse moved the kick 5 yards back to give him better angle and the ref allowed him to place it well beyond the static Pickford. Just shocking refereeing.

Southampton were now rampant and surging forward with shocking ease on cheap Everton turnovers. Lampard's late late masterstroke(?) was to trust the much hyped Ellis Simms on in place of Gana Gueye just before a well-won corner was taken. 

Gray swung it in but it was cleared by Adams. Everton tried to regroup but now Saints battened down at the back, Gordon's cross cleared.  

Everton laboured manfully to circulate the ball around the Saints area until Gray's cross came in and Banuzu clutched it.

Coady narrowly avoided being sandbagged on a bouncing ball as Everton struggled to get forward and a long ball from Pickford went straight through to Banuzu. 

Everton put everything forward and were in great danger of being exposed on the counter as 4 minutes of added time. Gordon finally showed up but Banuzu touched his cross up and Tarkowski's shot went behind, with nothing coming from the corner. 

Lyanco was booked for a poor lunge on Coady. Another corner was swung over but it was ultimately cleared. 

Time ran out and the Blues slumped to their worst possible result in the circumstances. 

Everton: Pickford, Coleman (69' Gordon), Godfrey, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Gana (81' Simms), Onana, Iwobi, Gray, Cavert-Lewin.

Subs:  Begovic, Holgate, Mina, Doucouré, Davies, McNeil, Maupay,.

Southampton: Bazunu; Caleta-Car, Lyanco [Y:90+2'], Salisu; Walker-Peters, Ward-Prowse, Lavia (61' Alcaraz), Diallo (85' Maitland-Niles) [y, Elyounoussi; Edozie (61' Armstrong), Che Adams (85' Mara).

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

Everton play what is another massive Premier League game against a team struggling with them at the bottom of the table as Southampton make the trip to Merseyside from the south coast.

Saints come into the game sitting in last place, three points behind the Toffees on a weekend when the bottom four teams are playing each other as 19th-place Wolves host 17th-place West Ham.

The clash at Goodison Park will play out amid rising angst amongst Evertonians towards a hierarchy that an increasing number feel have failed them. A sit-in protest designed to send a clear message to Farhad Moshiri that suppporters want urgent change at the top of the club is planned for after the match but a coach welcome before kick-off should signal the extent to which fans are willing to back Frank Lampard and his team during the 90 minutes.

Everton are the only team in the top six divisions of English football not to have won a game in any competition since October, a sobering statistic that explains the club's steady drift into the relegation zone since that win over Crystal Palace after which they sat in the relative comfort of 12th.

With two damaging home defeats since the Premier League resumed after the World Cup, Lampard is under heavy pressure to get 3 points against Southampton regardless of Moshiri's public backing for his manager in midweek.

Alex Iwobi could be a surprise inclusion in Saturday's matchday squad after Lampard said the midfielder will undergo a late assessment on his injured ankle.

Iwobi was carried off the pitch at Old Trafford on a stretcher last Friday after awkwardly rolling his ankle in a tackle from Tyrell Malacia and the diagnosis following scans at Finch Farm was that he would be out for three weeks.

“It’s a lesser injury than what we thought so we’ll see if he’s ready to play in the morning,” Lampard said during his press conference on Friday ahead of what is a massive game against another side struggling at the bottom of the Premier League.

As a key member of the side and the Blues' most creative outlet, Lampard could ill afford to lose Iwobi, particularly as incoming transfers have been slow in arriving this month.

Iwobi is Everton's chief chance creator and one of their hardest-working players but Abdoulaye Doucouré is on standby to deputise having performed well as the Nigerian international's replacement in the cup defeat to Manchester United.

Elsewhere in the side, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is fit to start again after the decision was taken not to push him too hard by naming him in the line-up to face United and the striker is expected to come into the side at the expense of Neal Maupay.

Anthony Gordon, meanwhile, is over his recent illness and will be pushing to start, perhaps in place of Dwight McNeil, who struggled in the defeat to Brighton, if Lampard opts for 4-4-3. Nathan Patterson, James Garner and Andros Townsend are still sidelined, although the latter two could both be back in action next month.

The eventual line-up will depend, though, on what formation Lampard elects to employ. He abandoned the 5-3-2 system he had used to such good effect at the Etihad on New Year's Eve, where his charges ground out an important 1-1 draw, for the visit of the Seagulls and Everton were torn apart.

The five-man back line was back at Old Trafford in the Cup in what was an improved display but Lampard may feel that reverting to a back four against the Premier League's bottom club is both more in keeping with his preferred way of playing but would also give his team the best chance of success.

On the other hand, the criticism he has received for changing what worked at City could yet see him err on the side of caution, at least initially in the match.

For their part, Southampton will travel in an upbeat mood having won back-to-back cup ties under new manager, Nathan Jones. They beat Manchester City in the last eight of the League Cup on Wednesday evening to add to a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup last weekend and they will be confident of adding to Everton's woes in the way their coastal neighbours Brighton did 10 days ago.

Jones will be without defender Armel Bella-Kotchap but will have former Blue, Theo Walcott available and new signing Carlos Alcaraz is expected to feature following his £12m move from Racing in Argentina this week.

For Everton, the onus will be on them to set the tempo, engage the fans with an intense performance and demonstrate the quality that they do possess even if they haven't shown it for a good many weeks.

A win would go an awfully long way to lifting the mood – not to mention the Blues' position in the table – ahead of another crucial game against the Hammers next weekend.

As a side but poignant note, a photograph of Natalie McNally, an Everton supporter who was murdered in Lurgan in Ireland on 18th December, will appear on the big screens inside the ground at the game in her memory.

Kick-off: 3pm, Saturday, 14 January 2023
Referee: John Brooks
VAR: Lee Mason
Last Time: Everton 3 - 1 Southampton 

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Godfrey, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Gueye, Onana, Doucouré, Gray, Calvert-Lewin 

Lyndon Lloyd

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