Lukaku the hero as Everton win thriller
ROMELU LUKAKU used to win matches for his side at the Hawthorns with regular frequency. It turns out he still can.
From a position of seemingly certain defeat — 2-0 down to a team who produce more clean sheets than the Ritz after morning check- out — lukaku generated a fearsome performance to turn the tide in a manner rarely seen.
Indeed, a Tony Pulis team have never before lost after holding a two-goal lead.
everton looked buried in the 54th minute, after Craig Dawson scored to add to Saido Berahino’s opener.
But lukaku struck back almost instantly with a fine header, then produced a sublime pass to set up substitute Arouna Kone, and found a winner with six minutes to go. It was the kind of quality £28million can buy. He went head over heels in celebration, a sight seen often at this ground during his season-long loan in 2012-13.
Credit to the West Bromwich fans, who applauded their former player off when Roberto martinez withdrew him with 60 seconds left.
This was a gritty display in difficult circumstances by the visitors, who move into fifth and above liverpool ahead of the merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Not since may 1994 have everton come from two goals down to win a Premier league game. That happened to be the relegation- saving victory against Wimbledon, and this result should do just as much for confidence at the club. overhauling a side as defensively well-drilled as West Brom should not be underestimated.
‘I had a feeling that if we got one goal then we would win the game,’ said lukaku. ‘The team spirit will be good going on from this win and we need to take the initiative to go and beat liverpool too.’
For West Brom, the wait for a first home win this season goes on. Pulis was frustrated with injuries, the officiating, but mostly his players for allowing the lead to slip. ‘We switched off,’ he said. ‘I don’t think we touched the ball between our second and their first, we were still celebrating.
‘ I don’t think it helped we lost Gareth McAuley yesterday and Jonas olsson has got injured so soon into the game. They got two of their goals from crosses.’
Pulis also thought that Kone was marginally offside and lukaku handballed for the winner.
everton’s sluggish early defending was perhaps understandable.
martinez was without three of his first- choice back four after John Stones and Seamus Coleman joined leighton Baines on the sidelines. Stones and Coleman should return on Sunday, thankfully for Ramiro Funes mori, who suffered here on his first Premier league start since signing for £9.5m from River Plate.
Berahino opened the scoring four minutes before the break with his second goal in successive matches, banishing memories of his furious vow to go on strike.
Funes mori tried to dribble out from the back but was halted abruptly by a forceful tackle near the right touchline by Dawson. The ball fell to Gareth Barry, but he rushed and diverted it straight to James morrison.
The Scotland international sized the situation and, spotting Berahino’s superb run behind Phil Jagielka, he funnelled the ball forward.
The 22-year-old’s shot beat Howard. Berahino marked his goal with a snake celebration, a reference to the venomous insult hurled his way on social media by some fans during his transfer stand-off.
eight minutes after the break West Brom went two up. From Chris Brunt’s corner Dawson rose high at the far post to nod down and in.
everton responded straight away, and ended Boaz myhill’s run without conceding at 374 minutes. The West Brom keeper could not reach a fine header from lukaku, hit with power and direction from Gerard Deulofeu’s flat cross.
Kone came on, and within two minutes he had equalised. lukaku was the catalyst, driving inside and cutting a cute pass to send the Ivorian clear. lukaku then found the winner with six minutes left, beating Chester and Dawson to another dangerous Deulofeu cross and bundling the ball home from two yards.