Everton’s free-kick was made by Marco
EVERTON SOUTHAMPTON
IF THERE was a standout feature of this victory, it was the creativity of the passing angles new Everton manager Marco Silva demands in his front-foot pressing approach.
Perhaps the best example of their stylish geometry was the opening goal scored by Theo Walcott from an inventive free-kick that bamboozled Southampton.
It even drew admiring noises from hardened Everton veteran Seamus Coleman.
Coleman said: “Marco is very demanding but that’s what you want from your manager.
“You can see that in the free-kick. He came to us with it. He saw a weakness in the opposition, picked the players, it was his idea. He’s very detailed.
“To see it come off on a matchday is so rewarding. Automatically you know he knows what he’s doing. And those little details are the difference between drawing or winning that game.”
Coleman added: “I want to win stuff at this club. I’ve been here 10 years and not really been close to winning a cup.” There was perhaps an even better moment in the second half when a passing move ended with Walcott – who created the second goal for the impressive Richarlison – shooting wide after brilliant interplay.
That one moment summed up Everton in this match: their new-found creativity and verve, but also the weakness in finishing that allowed Southampton back into a game that should have been over by the hour.
Danny Ings opened his Southampton account and indicated he will be a Premier League influence, and the visitors had chances to level late on.
For Saints manager Mark Hughes, Ings’ goal was ruined by the inability of referee Lee Mason to stop the “antics” of Everton’s Richarlison.
“It was stop-start in the second half and the referee I think was influenced too much by the antics of the Everton players screaming before they were even touched,” said Hughes.
“There were a few occasions when he was sucked in by what they were doing and that affected our ability to gain any momentum or pressure.
“It was bonkers. It was hardly a dirty game, was it?”