McNeil hurts Everton Euro credentials

DWIGHT McNEIL scored a wonder goal as Burnley inflicted Everton’s seventh home defeat of the term, with Carlo Ancelotti’s men also losing goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to injury.

Burnley, who had won only one of their previous nine games, shook off their shot-shy image by taking the lead through Chris Wood before McNeil struck from 25 yards midway through the first half to win it.

Though Dominic CalvertLewin reduced the arrears before the interval, Everton’s Euro hopes took another dive.

Toffees defender Michael Keane admitted: ‘We should be winning these games. First half, we weren’t good enough. We got punished for it.’

Without the creativity of

James Rodriguez and Gylfi Sigurdsson, Richarlison took responsibility and hit a shot that had Nick Pope flying across goal to save in the second minute.

Against the run of play, Burnley struck in the 14th minute. Josh Brownhill dispossessed Tom Davies in midfield with no foul awarded despite the Everton player falling and the Clarets broke.

McNeil sped down the left and when his cross was blocked by Michael Keane into the path of Wood, the Kiwi ace took one touch to control and a second to bury his shot into the corner.

Burnley’s second arrived after 25 minutes. There seemed little on for McNeil as he received a pass from Matej Vydra 10 yards outside the area. But the England Under-21 international brilliantly created space by turning Allan to rifle a finish into the top left-hand corner, which gave Pickford no chance.

After the home keeper departed, Everton’s goal arrived with Alex Iwobi reverting to the wing to deliver a perfect centre that Calvert-Lewin met with a textbook header.