Rodriguez is taking Blues to a new level
EVERTON brought Real Madrid galactico James Rodriguez to Goodison Park to make things happen but even they could not have guessed his first home outing would be this incident packed.
Rodriguez shared top billing with teammate Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose first senior hat-trick enabled the Toffees to maintain their perfect start to the season.
But every twist and turn of a memorable lunchtime game involved the Colombian, including red cards for West Brom defender Kieran Gibbs and their manager Slaven Bilic at the end of the first half.
Rodriguez, 29, who first sprung to prominence at the 2014 World Cup with Colombia, has moved to Merseyside to revive his career under Carlo Ancelotti. It did not start well, though, with a misunderstanding with team-mate Andre Gomes leading to Albion going ahead.
But he made amends with an exquisite finish to put Everton 2-1 in front and then provoked Gibbs into pushing him in the face, which saw Albion reduced to 10 men.
‘James is showing the quality
I saw in Real Madrid and Bayern Munich,’ said Ancelotti. ‘His goal was fantastic and the key goal for us. I’m not surprised by how quickly he has adapted. Football is not complicated for him.
‘He knows when he has space he can use his quality. When he is under pressure, play it simple. He’s doing it perfectly.’
Albion took the lead after 10 minutes. Rodriguez’s loose pass surrendered possession in Albion’s half and Bilic’s team countered brilliantly. Matheus Pereira found Grady Diangana and he sped from the halfway line before slotting home.
The home side levelled after 31 minutes via Calvert-Lewin’s backheel and Rodriguez fired then into the lead just before half-time. Gibbs was then dismissed for catching Rodriguez with a raised arm and Bilic also saw red for arguing about it.
Pereira made it 2-2 in the 47th minute with an outstanding freekick but thereafter the Toffees made their class tell.
It was 3-2 after 54 minutes when Michael Keane pounced on the loose ball keeper Sam Johnstone pushed out to him. Calvert-Lewin turned in Richarlison’s cross-shot after 62 minutes, and four minutes later completed his hat-trick with a header from Rodriguez’s cross.
EvErton (4-3-3): Pickford 6: Coleman 7, Keane 7, Mina 6.5, Digne 7; Gomes 6, Allan 6, Doucoure 6 (Sigurdsson 65min, 6); Rodriguez 7.5 (Kean 76, 6), Calvert-Lewin 9 (Iwobi 71, 6), Richarlison 8. Booked: Doucoure. Subs (not used): Virginia, Kenny, Davies, Bernard.
WESt Brom (5-3-2): Johnstone 6; Furlong 5, Bartley 5, Ajayi 6, O’Shea 5, Gibbs 4; Pereira 6.5 (Phillips 71, 6), Livermore 6, Sawyers 4 (Field 75, 6); Robinson 6, Diangana 7 (Edwards 71, 6). Subs (not used): Button, Kipre, Harper, Robson-Kanu. referee: M Dean (Wirral) 6.