Blues end with fifth consecutive home win

Everton 1 - 0 Sheffield United

Everton go into their last home match of a fraught and at times maddening 2023-24 season with Sheffield United the doomed side who are already relegated.

Both Vitallii Myklenko and Nathan Patterson miss this game with long-term injuries that have ended their seasons, while Seamus Coleman is determined that this will not be his last appearance at Goodison Park as Sean Dyche names his strongest line-up, with Amadou Onana and Seamus Coleman come in for Jack Harrison and Ben Godfrey. 

Sean Dyche explained Harrison's absence before the kick-off:

"Unfortunately, Jack is injured and it looks unlikely we’ll get him back before the end of the season. It’s unfortunate as he’s played a lot of football and done very well."

Youssef Chermiti, Lewis Dobbin and Lewis Warrington will be hopeful of time off the bench at some point before the curtain comes down on the penultimate season for Everton at Goodison Park in the Premier League.

The visitors got things underway in the bright sunshine, pushing Everton back and eventually winning an early corner that Tarkowski headed clear. At the other end, Calvert-Lewin found himself in the channel and crossing to an empty space where he should have been. 

Everton forced a good turnover outside the Blades area but were denied a corner despite Young's valid protestations. Coleman was tested by Archer. Hamer came in hard on McNeil in full flight. In the second phase, McNeil picked out Doucoure with a decent ball over the defence but he had strayed offside.

Onana had a great opportunity to run at goal but his second touch was far too heavy. Calvert-Lewin did a lot better with the next, a brilliant ball forward from Tarkowski that he brought under control superbly to then set up Doucoure perfectly only for him to hit it straight at the advancing Foderingham.

A barge on Gana set up a great attacking free-kick opportunity that was totally wasted. Everton built another half-decent attack until Gana overhit his crossfield pass. McNeil benefited from a loose pass but Young's deep cross to the far post was fielded by Foderingham.

Sheffield United looked to get forward but Branthwiate had other ideas, diverting the ball back to Pickford. At the other end, the ball fell nicely for Calvert-Lewin but his low shot spun off the studs of a Blades defender and was saved by Foderingham. At the other end, Archer strode forward and shot across Pickford's goal in a rare forward foray.

Everton went down the other end and Calvert-Lewin pounced on a ball to beat Foderingham, then chipped over a delightful reverse ball that made it child's play for Doucoure to head into the empty net from 3 yards out.  

An impromptu session of handbags ensued when Robinson aggressively shoved Calvert-Lewin with full force to the ground after some innocuous shoulder barge with Calvert-Lewin, both players getting yellow cards. 

Garner and Doucoure forced their way forward but Doucoure's cross was dreadful. Branthwaite got drawn into an attack that broke down, leaving the Everton rearguard exposed to a break that required a precise tackle from Pickford to take the ball away from Archer. 

Then Brooks got all the way in and lashed a good shot that Pickford saved.  The Blades came back for a third attack that needed to be cleared by Ashley Young. 

A great ball forward found Doucoure who seemed set to repay Calvert-Lewin with a nice cross but the offside flag went up. A great ball from Tarkowski found Calvert-Lewin but his header went forward into no-man's land.  Archer got forward for the Bades and they won a corner that almost caused angst before it was cleared and the Blue shirts broke at pace until Doucoure fumbled and crumbled. 

Coleman's cross won a late corner in added time, McNeil's corner punched and then caught by Foderingham. Garner put over a cross that was too difficult for Doucoure to convert, before the whistle went for half-time. 

Onana restarted the game and it soon saw McNeil swing in a great cross to Calvert-Lewin near the far post but too close to Foderingham. Garner got down the wing and cleverly played in Calvert-Lewin but his touch as too heavy. 

some well-worked passing ended with an Onana shot that was deflected over. From the corner, it was Gana's turn but the obvious deflection was apparently not seen by the various officials. Graner then tried to do it all himself but got it all wrong in the end.

But the game was being played almost entirely on the opposition half and Garner this time shot on al but it was blocked at source. Arblaster caught Garner and he got a yellow card. When Sheffield Utd attacked, Brereton DIaz lashed over. 

But The Blades were having a spell, and Tarkowski had to marshall Brereton Diaz to stop him scoring. Souza then overhit his cross. Everton were not playing with the same intensity and were increasingly at risk of conceding. 

Garner seemed to be taken out as Sheffield United created their best chance, Brereton Diaz's header deflecting behind off Ashley Young, but not given as a Blades corner.  Dobbin and Gomes then came on, and Gomes tried to play in Garner with a clever pass. 

At the other end Archer forced a mistake from Branthwaite to give away a corner, and Robinson's shot could have deflected anywhere, out for another Blades corner, cleared by Calvert-Lewin, with Young getting wiped out on the break, but nothing given. 

The Blades countered and Everton came back in shape quickly to defend Pickford in goal at the expense of another corner that was dealt with. Ashley Young played a great ball up to Calvert-Lewin but he was flagged offside. Tarkowski was next to pick out Calvert-Lewin but Foderingham was out quickly.

Garner ran forward and as space opened up he fired beyond the far post as Chermiti replaced Calvert-Lewin. Archer fired wide before he was replaced. Chermiti chased down a forward ball but Fodergham was out sharply to deny him. 

The Blades surged forward and Brewster crossed dangerously just ahead of Lowe. Despite… or because of the substitutions, Everton were struggling to make their attacking efforts count, whilst the visitors seemed determined to come away with something.  

Branthwaite resorted to a long ball that went straight to Foderingham, CHemiti took things into his own hands and carried the ball forward to shoot with excellent determination and power, but just curling wide of the angle. Would have been a wonderful goal. 

The Blades kept getting forward and Everton thankfully remained alert enough to deny them. Gana put in a tempting cross for Chermiti but too close to Foderingham before Gomes got smacked in the face by Slimane, 21-year-old Lewis Warrington finally getting his Premier League debut with barely 2 minutes left.  

A forward move saw the ball deflected forward to CHermiti but he could only shoot at Fderingham from a narrowing angle. A tremendous move in by Chermiti beating two defenders then saw him set up Garner, whose shot was very disappointing from a perfect position to make it 2-0 just before the final whistle sounded on the 5th consecutive Blues win at home without conceding a goal. 

Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Young, Gana, Onana, Doucoure (69' Dobbin), Garner, McNeil (69' Gomes (90+2' Warrington)), Calvert-Lewin [Y:36'] (79' Chermiti).

Subs: Virginia, Keane, Godfrey,  Danjuma, Beto. 

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