Shaqiri’s a stayer
Lejeune stuns Ancelotti ’n Kean
THE joy was clear see, the ecstasy was uncontained – but it wasn’t Moise Kean who was smiling at the end of a ridiculous contest. to
The Everton striker gleefully celebrated his first goal for the club at the 22nd time of asking, but a match which the home side had completely dominated was turned on its head in an utterly frantic final few minutes.
With Newcastle seemingly beaten after barely mustering an attempt, incredibly they scored in the 94th and 95th minutes.
Both times it was a set-piece that undid Everton, both times the ball was launched into the box and both times Carlo Ancelotti’s side failed to clear.
Both times, too, the ball fell to substitute Florian Lejeune (inset),
who had only come on in the 70th minute, and somehow recorded an astonishing double.
It was incredibly tough luck on Kean, who had departed himself in the 71st minute to a standing ovation, after finally getting his Everton career up and running,
(on the turf, right) nets the late leveller following his £36m move Juventus in the summer.
He was publicly humiliated in December after being substituted as a substitute after just 18 minutes at Old Trafford by caretaker boss Duncan Ferguson, and many thought that was the end of a brief Goodison stay.
So when he scored he could be forgiven for the delirious dance by the corner flag, and a sly glance down the touchline at Big Dunc.
It was a goal that was greeted with not just relief from the fans, but appreciation as the Italian put in a real shift.
Newcastle had entered the night with a woeful record of 16 consecutive matches without a clean sheet in this fixture, so it was absolutely no surprise when they from conceded again. The identity the scorer was the shock. Kean hadn’t really looked like scoring before last night. Here he seemed like a striker transformed, haring around the pitch throughout.
It was a good goal, too, a brilliant flick from Dominic Calvert-Lewin feeding Bernard, who found Kean. He seemed to miscontrol but had the nerve to turn and stroke home.
It was Calvert-Lewin who then gave Everton what they thought was a winning cushion with the second on 54 minutes. That seemed to be it, with Newcastle barely offering a response, but in the Premier League nothing is certain. of
LIVERPOOL have slapped a £25m price tag on Xherdan Shaqiri – but he won’t be allowed to leave until the summer.
The Swiss playmaker, 28 (below) has not had much game time this season with a combination of injury and competition for places reducing him to just two Premier League starts.
That has persuaded both Roma and Sevilla to make a formal approach to take him on loan for the rest of the season.
But boss Jurgen Klopp is adamant he cannot afford to lose any players.
Liverpool have rejected out of hand the loan requests, insisting that Shaqiri will only leave on their terms – and for around twice the £13m they paid Stoke for him in the summer of 2018.