Lethal Lukaku gives Everton edge over City
AT LAST, a night to savour under the lights at Goodison, with the League Cup favourites if not quite slain, then gravely wounded.
After the torpor of their weekend efforts against Tottenham in the Barclays Premier League, here Everton played with gusto, tempo, rhythm and, most importantly, menace. They will take a one-goal lead to Manchester in three weeks, but it could have been even better.
City were wretched in this semifinal first leg, ruined by Everton’s slick passing, clever movement and hunger. Chief among their tormentors was Ross Barkley.
The England youngster didn’t score either of his team’s goals. Those honours fell to centre-half Ramiro Funes Mori — popping in a rebound after Barkley had a shot saved in first-half stoppage time — and Romelu Lukaku, who headed in Gareth Barry’s cross two minutes after Jesus Navas had equalised with a quarter of an hour to go.
It proved to be Lukaku’s last touch and he hobbled straight off clutching his right ankle. Barkley was involved in just about everything else, though, and the longer the game went on, the more an insipid and frankly disappointing City struggled to contain him.
Manuel Pellegrini’s reserve defenders aren’t good enough. Here, though, his team were also failed by the more celebrated talents of Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure and — for once — David Silva.
City did improve slightly in the final third. Aguero and midfielder Fernandinho missed good chances and Kevin de Bruyne was denied by the sprawling Joel Robles in the Everton goal before substitute Navas sprinted clear to score from Aguero’s pass.
It was Everton’s night, though, no doubt about that. All they have to do now is repeat the performance.
‘The team did a great job,’ said Funer Mori. ‘When we had to defend, we defend, when we had to go forward, we were great. Winning 2-1 is good for us, we hope to keep it up.’
After the pedestrian manner in which Everton had started on Sunday, Roberto Martinez tinkered with his selection, leaving out the ineffectual Arouna Kone and picking Muhamed Besic, who had done so much to stir his team after coming on as a substitute.
City were not at their best early on, either. A neat passing move between Silva and de Bruyne might have led somewhere had Fabian Delph timed his run better, and centre-half Nicolas Otamendi stole forward to head wide of the near post from a corner in the 23rd minute. Other than that, Pellegrini’s team had little to offer.
Besic showed an eye for a pass, while Lukaku was contributing some nuisance value and played Barkley in down the left with a good pass in the 24th minute. The England midfielder could have tested City goalkeeper Willy Caballero had he shot first time with his left foot but once he chose to check back on to his right, the chance was gone.
Barkley will have regretted his choice but the move at least fired Everton up. Soon after, they were worrying City again, this time Besic playing in Gerard Deulofeu, only for the Spaniard’s cross to hit the side netting.
By now, the momentum was well and truly with Everton and the crowd responded. They sensed a purpose in their team and a vulnerability about City.
Lukaku was denied a shot by a fine Otamendi tackle in the 36th minute and Everton were twice denied by offside flags before halftime — one close, the other clear cut. First, Barry edged ahead of the defence before heading a freekick back to John Stones, then, six minutes later, Lukaku had to wait so long for Deulofeu’s pass that he had a look of exasperation by the time he slid the ball into the net.
Would Everton rue their failings? Well, almost. Twice in 10 seconds Aguero was denied, first by Robles and then by Funes Mori’s foot as he moved on to the rebound.
But then, just before the break, Caballero couldn’t hold Barkley’s shot after a corner was cleared and Funes Mori reacted first to shovel the ball in with his left foot.
Early in the second half, Barkley almost played in Lukaku at the far post and then beat two men with a turn of pace on the edge of the penalty area that required a sprawling intervention from Caballero to snuff out the danger.
City were wobbling but Aguero and Fernandinho should have taken their chances in the 63rd and 64th minutes while Robles’ save from de Druyne was superb.
City’s equaliser, however, seemed set to swing the tie when it did come. Toure cleared from deep, Aguero controlled well to play in the galloping Spaniard and Navas slid the ball beneath Robles with confidence.
City switched off, though, and Lukaku was able to slip beyond their rearguard almost immediately to head Everton back in front.