Everton romp is perfect for Silva
TWO-GOAL BLITZ SEES OFF BURNLEY
THE word Marco Silva used left no margin for error. With Everton playing their final home game of the season, their coach stated his intention: he wanted a ‘perfect’ night.
Silva has not always got what he wanted during his first year on Merseyside but here was one such occasion when he did. One clean sheet, two goals, three points and, above all, the promise of good things to come in the future.
On a rain-sodden night at Goodison Park, Everton gave a glimpse of the side they could become under the Portuguese with an electric spell of passing and pressing.
With the potential to qualify for Europe, there was never going to be any sentiment in Silva’s selection and that is why Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka — both of whom are out of contract in a matter
of weeks — started on the bench. Discussions have been ongoing with the veteran defenders, who have made 795 appearances between them. They both want game time and it would certainly help if Everton had a Europa League campaign to plan for — and in recent weeks they have played in the manner of a side who would not be out of place in that competition.
Burnley, as is their way, arrived bursting with stubbornness and aggression but this contest was taken away from them in a superb 20-minute spell. Everton hemmed Burnley in from the start and after 17 minutes, the opening goal arrived. Dominic Calvert-Lewin cut in from the right, played a ball to Gylfi Sigurdsson and Richarlison thrashed his lay- off beyond Tom Heaton with the aid of a deflection from Ben Mee.
There has been much debate about the parameters for the Young Player of the Year award but if Richarlison adds consistency to his game, he will be a contender in 12 months. It takes talent to score 13 goals from midfield at the age of 21 but that is what the Brazilian has done.
Really, the tally should have been 14 but the glance of Mee’s thigh was deemed sufficient for it to be credited to the Burnley defender.
If there was a question about who scored Everton’s first, there was no doubt about the second. Another spell of pressure ended with the ball arriving at Lucas Digne’s feet and the French left back returned a volley from 20 yards that Tom Heaton could only parry out to Seamus Coleman, who headed in the rebound.
Burnley, who have worked tirelessly to secure their safety, faced an uphill task and it should have been more complicated had referee Christopher Kavanagh sent Ashley Westwood off for a horribly mistimed tackle on Morgan Schneiderlin.
Sean Dyche was never going to let his team surrender and they were determined to make a game of it in the second half. But the improvement Everton have made in the past two months can be measured by a defence that had kept five clean sheets in its previous six matches.
They did have one fortunate escape when Kavanagh chose not to penalise Michael Keane’s push in the area on substitute Matej Vydra, a decision that incensed Dyche, but Everton were never unduly worried.
Given some of what they experienced at the turn of the year, that signifies huge progress.
EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Pickford 6; Coleman 7, Zouma 7, Keane 7, Digne 7; SCHNEIDERLIN 8, Gueye 7.5; Richarlison 7.5 (Walcott 49min, 6), Sigurdsson 6.5 (Jagielka 90), Bernard 7.5 (Lookman 73, 6); Calvert-Lewin 6.5. Subs not used: Stekelenburg, Baines, Tosun, Davies. Scorers: Mee 17 (og), Coleman 20. Booked: None. Manager: Marco Silva 7. BURNLEY (4-4-2): Heaton 6; Lowton 6, Tarkowski 6, Mee 6, Taylor 6; Gudmundsson 6 (McNeil 69, 6), Westwood 5, Cork 6, Brady 6 (Hendrick 80); Barnes 5 (Vydra 72, 6), Wood 5. Subs not used: Hart, Gibson, Crouch, Long. Booked: Westwood, Tarkowski. Manager: Sean Dyche 6. Referee: Christopher Kavanagh 6.
Attendance: 39,303.