Classy Gylfi rewards the patience of Silva
THE THING that irked Marco Silva was quite why, for a team in such a groove, this took so long. For almost an hour, Cardiff clung to the promise a point, the height of their ambition. Everton had no real answer.
Yet with the energy and eventual winner from Gylfi Sigurdsson they now sit sixth in the Premier League, and above Manchester United. The resurgence continues going into the Merseyside derby at Anfield next Sunday.
Sterner tests than this are close. Before Christmas, Tottenham and Manchester City follow the Liverpool game — all examinations of how quickly Everton are progressing under Silva.
But games like these, retaining patience against teams content to sit in, can also act as a measure. It is to Silva’s credit that more sides will turn up at Goodison Park happy to leave with anything, as it was yesterday.
Their slumber could be partially blamed on the international break and partially owing to Cardiff’s doggedness, broken by Theo Walcott’s dart on 59 minutes — turning the visitors around for the first time all afternoon — and Neil Etheridge’s save only falling to the rushing Sigurdsson. Cardiff boss Neil Warnock cried foul in the build-up and thought a throw-in went the wrong way.
‘We started slowly and played too slow,’ Silva said. ‘Eventually we were faster and created more. We could’ve killed the match but we didn’t and it’s always open.’
Late on, Cardiff had their chances for an equaliser, with Warnock’s side — who have scored an average of less than a goal a game in the Premier League — only troubling Jordan Pickford’s goal in the final moments. That Warnock celebrated the award of a set piece that makeshift striker Callum Paterson ended up heading over tells something of a story about their lack of guile in the final third.
The Cardiff boss did argue that his side deserved something though, with Josh Murphy seeing his close range shot superbly blocked in stoppage time.
‘We made them look quite average,’ Warnock said. ‘To come and nullify them as much as we did... they were running out of ideas. I thought at half-time we could’ve won it.’
This had been hard work for Everton for long spells, only gathered any momentum towards half-time.
There were precious few opportunities. Andre Gomes, who was impressive all afternoon, fired wide twice, once after breaking past two Cardiff defenders. The away side’s resistance was proving stubborn.
As is always the case at Goodison, a few thousand were quickly restless. They voiced displeasure at Etheridge’s long deliberations over goal kicks — the Cardiff goalkeeper was eventually booked for timewasting — before there came the usual howls of exasperation at misplaced passes and broken passages of play. Quite right too: Everton’s 73 per cent possession had yielded only one chance of real note and that came via a free-kick.
Finally the breakthrough came, Sigurdsson netting his seventh of the campaign. To Silva’s immense credit, Sigurdsson is finally beginning to show why they spent £45million on him. ‘He’s understanding what I want better and the moves he has to do,’ Silva said. ‘He’s a fantastic professional.’ Cardiff were briefly in disarray before regaining their composure. Warnock is relying on the athleticism of his squad to stave off relegation, but they require at least the threat of cutting edge. Victor Camarasa, the winger on-loan at Cardiff from Real Betis, looked most likely, sending Pickford sprawling to his right to tip wide from 30 yards.
Greg Cunningham appealed for a penalty under Seamus Coleman’s challenge, but referee Paul Tierney correctly waved that away.
‘We’re going to have to shop,’ Warnock said. ‘We have to have that little bit more quality. Vincent Tan’s been very receptive. The board see how close we are.’ EvErton (4-2-3-1): Pickford 7; Coleman 6.5, Keane 7, Mina 7, Digne 6.5; Gueye 7, Gomes 7.5; Walcott 6.5 (Lookman 73min, 7), Sigurdsson 8 (Zouma 90), Bernard 7 (Tosun 77); Richarlison 6. Subs (not used): Stekelenburg, Baines, Davies, Calvert-Lewin. Cardiff City (4-1-4-1): Etheridge 7; Manga 6.5, Morrison 7, Bamba 6.5, Cunningham 6; Ralls 6; Camarasa 6.5 (Ward 85), Gunnarsson 6, Arter 6.5 (Hoilett 74, 6), Harris 5 (Murphy 67); Paterson 6. Booked: Etheridge, Harris, Camarasa. Subs (not used): Smithies, Peltier, Bennett, Reid. referee: P Tierney 7.