Manchester City 2 – 0 Everton
Everton took on Manchester City in the Premier League at Etihad Stadium on Saturday but lost to two Erling Haaland goals after Beto had messed up two great chances to score.
There’s no Jack Grealish, of course, due to Premier League loan rules, but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall returns to the starting line-up after serving a one-match ban for accumulating five yellow cards in six games.
Dibling is dropped back to the bench where Merlin Rohl (but not Jarrad Branthwaite) is deemed fit enough, with Charly Alcaraz getting the job of feeding the ball through to Beto. Nathan Patterson is out injured.
First Half
Everton kicked off in their all-black kit with the usual scenario: Pickford hoff, possession lost. Dewsbury-Hall had an early clash with Nunes, who fouled him with impunity to steal the ball; he needed treatment and off for the requisite 30 seconds.
Everton tried to move it around with some intensity but Gana was called for a high kick. But Everton regained possession and mounted a decent attack with a long throw from Mykolenko and some good play from Ndiaye but no chance created.
City came forward and won a corner, headed clear by Keane but Alcaraz unable to counter. But City were back in attack and a ball over the top to Savinho but he played his cross behind Doku.
City were increasingly finding space, with the Everton defence looking stretched. But Ndiaye stole the ball off Ake and played a glorious cross for Beto that he failed to connect properly with… an open goal missed.
Ndiaye stole the ball off O’Reilly but got tangled up and City got it back, Savinho again in behind but he failed to shoot and just rolled the ball to Pickford. Nunes then struck his shot wide.
It was competitive and Everton holding their own against the increasingly inventive City attack, the Blues defence working hard, Mykolenko giving up a corner. Foden’s great ball seemed to find Haaland but it came off O’Brien and hit the face of the bar with a thump.
After a brief respite, where Alcaraz fired goalward, his shot blocked, City reestablished the pressure on Everton. Another dangerous City attack almost broke through, Keane in place to divert the shot behind from Reijnders. Gana was fouled as the corner came over.
At the other end, Dewsbury-Hall fed a brilliant ball through to Beto who drove it across goal and just wide of the far post. He was flagged offside but another horrendous miss for the big man. Savinho tried to dribble through everyone, winning a corner that Pickford came out to punch away from the crowd.
Doku beat O’Brien easily but his cross was blocked away. Doku tried again but Tarkowski covered the through-ball. City tried again but were driven back to Donnarumma. It opened up a bit in midfield but Everton were too slow and they too went backward.
Garner was shown a yellow card for a foul on Foden 5 minutes earlier. Ndiaye stole the ball and drove forward. He got a second bite and this time stung Donnarumma’s fingertips with a brilliant net-bound shot.
The resulting corner was eventually cleared and Garner tried to play a forward ball that was blocked. Suddenly it was wide open for City to score on overload, Haaland laying it off to Reijnders then Doku, but somehow he mishit his shot and Pickford blocked it before Mykolenko belted it away.
Another City corner, Ake heads it wide. Beto battled forward and tried to lay it off to Alcaraz but the City defenders were around them like tigers. Savinho beat Mykolenko brilliantly but his shot was pushed back by Pickford and out for another City corner that was cleared.
And that was it for a very busy first half, Everton playing fairly well considering the opposition but Beto could be the hero… and wasn’t.
Second Half
A great steal by Ndiaye on Doku should have set Everton going forward but Ake was too strong again. But Garner stole the ball next, Everton giving City too much time to reset and then wasting a crossfield ball.
City were forced to play it around and aroun, Everton inpenetrable. Beto was pushed over by O’Reilly wide right, Dewsbury-Hall to the far post but Donnarumma snatched it out of the stratosphere.
Garner was fouled in midfield but gave away the ball off the free-kick. However, Mykolenko won it back and Everton attacked, Doku fouling Dewsbury-Hall centrally. But nothing came of the free-kick.
But suddenly, O’Reilly broke left and the ball over the top was crossed perfectly for Haaland and Bang! What an incredible leap! No stopping that. And Pep immediately makes changes.
Dewsbury-Hall stole the ball and Beto was driven wide. Garner’s shot was blocked by an arm but of course no penalty for Everton, the corner cleared by Donnarumma.
City attacked again and Savinho was allowed too much space, the ball rolled back to Haaland and Tarkowski’s heel was enough to deflect the shot past Pickford. 2-0, game over.
Garner went in very strongly on Foden and was perhaps lucky not to see a second yellow card. Moyes decided to shake the can, while for City, it became a training game, Foden firing just over the corner angle. Gueye off for Iroegbunam; Alcaraz off for Röhl.
City worked it around, trying to set up Haaland for his hat-trick. Bobb forced a corner but Everton defended it clear. Ndiaye danced down the wing, beat his man and crossed for Röhl, his good header hitting the side netting.
Haaland looked to be set for his third but O’Reilly’s towering header took it away from him and injured himself as he fell.
O’Brien forced a corner, Tarkowski smirking as Haaland falls over his leg for a bit of afters. There were a load of subs, and not much else until Haaland seemed through for a simple third goal but it didn’t happen, great blocking by Everton.
Haaland almost got another chance but was forced out wide and could not make his cross-shot go in. He got yet another chance one-on-one with Pickford but could not finish.
Manchester City: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Ake, O’Reilly (86′ Lewis), Nico (86′ Kovacic), Reijnders (59′ Bernardo Silva), Savinho (86′ Cherki), Foden, Doku (59′ Bobb), Haaland
Subs not Used: Trafford, Stones, Marmoush, Gvardiol.
Everton: Pickford, Mykolenko, Keane, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Garner [Y:39′], Gueye (70′ Iroegbunam), Ndiaye (87′ Dibling [Y:0+6′]), Dewsbury-Hall (87′ McNeil), Alcaraz (70′ Röhl), Beto (75′ Barry).
Subs not Used: Travers, King, Coleman, Aznou.
Reader Comments (147)
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Edward Rogers
1 Posted
18/10/2025 at
13:48:25
Is Rodri out for City?
Kevin Naylor
2 Posted
18/10/2025 at
13:51:36
Back 2 goalies on the bench again FFS
Kevin Molloy
3 Posted
18/10/2025 at
13:54:39
That makes no sense.
Sean Kearns
4 Posted
18/10/2025 at
13:58:14
This isn’t City of the last 4-5 years and we go above them with a win…
Come on, blue boys!!! (Or whatever colour we wear today)… 0-2 Everton win. Beto and Ndiaye
Ste Stannard
5 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:03:14
For fuck’s sake, he’s not a winger. And 2 goalkeepers on bench… 3-0 home win.
Ted Donnelly
6 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:03:39
I don’t fancy O’Brien against Doku!
Steve S
7 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:09:11
Come on, Jake — put him in your pocket!
Sean Kearns
9 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:12:14
I trust the fella who has managed the 3rd most games in Premier League history over a few ToffeeWebers. Just saying like…
Nicolas Piñon
10 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:14:07
LOL
All great managers the ToffeeWebbers
Its a funny thing
David Bromwell
11 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:21:28
However, it all looks a lot better than last season, with more than a couple of good options on the bench.
Steve S
12 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:22:30
Where’s Charly playing and what’s the score?
Dave Abrahams
13 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:27:54
If he plays on the wing, it’s a waste of a good player.
Raymond Fox
14 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:28:41
We will probably have 20% possession, when we have it put it into the box, anything can happen.
Not much of a plan I know, but we will not get anything playing them at their own game.
Mike Hayes
15 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:30:19
Ill go for a win – with three goalies theyve got no Feckin chance 🥳🥳🥳💙
Si Cooper
16 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:38:51
Crazy things are happening almost daily so we all should live in hope that the result we crave coalesces out of the chaos.
We got a result against Palace that not many expected so we can do it again.
The formula is simple. Shackle and frustrate them and make the most of our opportunities.
Have to hope the international players we have who have not had a break are buoyed by their continued relative success and really up for this challenge. Let’s see how their defenders deal with the dancing Ndiaye.
Come on you (‘Royal’) Blues!
James Hughes
17 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:50:38
But I have just put money on us to win.
COYB & UTFT
Paul Kossoff
18 Posted
18/10/2025 at
14:52:59
A double negative forms a positive. In some languages, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, in no language in the world can a double positive form a negative.
What do you mean, “Yeah, right!”😁
Tom Bowers
19 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:01:34
They don’t start Bernardo Silva which is good and Rodri is injured but their replacements are top notch.
Anything can happen in any game but Everton need to be firm all over, especially in the first half when they always look shabby.
They will miss the outlet and ball carrier in Jack.
Sean Kearns
20 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:15:17
Get Gabriel Jesus in January and we are laughing!
Ernie Baywood
21 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:20:26
Beto’s left foot. Jeez. Two open goals in a week if he could use it.
Mike Gaynes
22 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:21:01
Dreaming, Sean. This is not a team that is one player away from Europe.
Christy Ring
23 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:28:21
Sean more nonsense, that’s why City and now Arsenal want rid of Jesus, misses more than he scores.
Alex Whitehead
24 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:37:54
Beto is shite!!! 😩😩😩😩
Paul Armstrong
25 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:38:56
Any links that do not include subscribing?
Sean Kearns
26 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:40:01
People turning their noses up at Jesus probably turned it up at Moyes returning also 🙄 why do people have to come down on others for merely dreaming and being positive. Bunch of miserable glass half empty sods… Jesus scores that Beto sitter and we are currently 1-0 up. Nuff said
Christy Ring
27 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:48:10
Sean any striker would have scored that Beto sitter, and you mustn’t have watched much of Jesus, he does most of his best work outside the box.
Sean Kearns
28 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:49:59
Any other suggestions?
Ernie Baywood
29 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:50:36
I can’t think when I’ve last seen one of our players go away to a top side and play as if they believe they’re the best player on the pitch. He’s incredible.
Kieran Kinsella
30 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:51:22
Dewsbury-Hall playing well, Alcaraz struggling out of position. Decent 45 minutes for the neutrals even though it’s 0-0.
Alan J Thompson
31 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:53:31
So far so good but what a pity that Beto didn’t put that chance away on the 13-minute mark.
Christy Ring
32 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:58:08
Worth a punt in January if he’s still struggling at Forest? He’s a proper Number 9.
Dave Abrahams
33 Posted
18/10/2025 at
15:59:11
Alcaraz is not a winger.
Subs might win this game, hope it’s an Everton one.
Kieran Kinsella
34 Posted
18/10/2025 at
16:04:57
He started brightly, making some nice runs towards their box. Granted he was less involved as City upped the ante and we were camped in our own half. He might get that Ireland call-up soon!
Kevin Molloy
35 Posted
18/10/2025 at
16:08:46
Enjoy him while you can.
Ernie Baywood
36 Posted
18/10/2025 at
16:23:31
But, as a lifelong player, coach and supporter, I’ve got no idea what the handball rule is nowadays.
Andrew McLawrence
37 Posted
18/10/2025 at
16:28:58
Imagine having a striker…
Sean Kearns
38 Posted
18/10/2025 at
16:36:20
The Premier League makes a lot of money every time Haaland, Salah etc score goals. That includes penalties… lots of jersey sales, google searches, links clicked (advertising companies get paid) etc etc etc.
Colin Malone
39 Posted
18/10/2025 at
16:36:25
Should’ve gone with two up top.
Luke Welch
40 Posted
18/10/2025 at
16:41:31
Can’t complain too much.
Kieran Kinsella
41 Posted
18/10/2025 at
16:59:47
Yeah, with what we have, we put up a decent effort, but they just have much more quality.
Alan J Thompson
42 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:01:57
Admittedly we need to find something more in our own attack which seemed lesser when Alcaraz went off, but they didn’t make a complete show of us.
George Cumiskey
43 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:02:00
2-nil is not a bad result against City. 👍
Sean Mitchell
44 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:02:21
Thats a penalty all day had it been in our area.
Dave Abrahams
45 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:06:51
£25M? And the rest… he’s the best forward we’ve got.
Christy Ring
46 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:11:28
If we only had a prolific striker. On the plus side, we should have Grealish and Branthwaite back for next Sunday.
Alan J Thompson
47 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:18:01
Similarly, Garner was fouled in an almost identical manner for which he got a yellow card but nothing against the City player.
Jim Bennings
48 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:18:14
Beto has had his purple patch now and he’s never once looked the answer to what we need.
Barry doesn’t look anywhere near the style of player for this league. He’s meek, lightweight and doesn’t look like he has much running or work ethic in him, I can’t see him working out at all.
Why persist with dross? Sell both and replace them.
Eric Haworth
49 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:19:07
The most dangerous striker in the league stood on his own in our box on both occasions while neither of our centre-backs were within 10 yards of him and neither marking a soul?
Mind you, anybody on here reckon Beto would’ve finished either of those chances? Oh to have a striker…🙄
Jack Convery
50 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:19:28
Neil Lawson
51 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:21:32
I find this frustrating. He tried hard but was less effective. Square pegs, round holes etc.
David Connor
52 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:21:35
At the moment, £100M pissed down the drain. Shocking business. Scouts want sacking. Most people can do a better job than them clowns.
Spurs and Sunderland next up… 1 loss, 1 draw. We move on. A mid-table finish is my prediction. Not good enough.. .
Ajay Gopal
53 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:21:51
Barry looks better as a substitute and I see a player there who will come good once he plays more as the season goes on.
Merlin Röhl and Tim Iroegbunam played well together and got some good tackles in. We are 2 full-backs and a good striker away from competing with the best of the rest.
Peter Moore
54 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:22:10
2 out of at least 5 good chances to my eye.
Beto missed 1 that he did well to get anything on. It was gutting his desperate lunge didn’t get enough on it though.
The second one he beat Donarumma and the far post, not easy to slot past that keeper on the angle. Had he succeeded, it was no goal as flagged for offside (though maybe we would have had a chance to overturn on VAR as it was super tight).
Not our day. I thought we fought hard but their class shone through, sadly. Sad truth is it could have been an embarrassing scoreline had their lads had their shooting boots on.
Not seen the xG though. Let’s hope with Jack and Jarrad back we do a number on Spurs. UTFT.
David Connor
55 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:26:25
Probably do a better job the the 2 importers we have at the club at the moment. Niasse was world class compared to them donkeys.
Jeff Armstrong
56 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:27:37
Haaland on both occasions feigned his run, stepped back and created his own space as our centre-backs followed his initial move.
Great striker’s play imo.
Kieran Kinsella
57 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:31:44
But in the recent past we would have capitulated and probably ended up conceding a few late goals. We didn’t. We kept our shape and discipline.
But our shape minus Grealish was askew and with full-backs offering nothing going forward plus a useless striker it was a matter of scoring off a set piece or Ndiaye doing a Maradona run.
In the words of Moshiri: “an expected loss,” and one I personally can’t argue that, if we’d done this, that or the next thing differently, we could have won.
Conor McCourt
58 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:39:47
One of the most promising performances this season despite the result and the first 60 or so minutes should give us confidence going forward.
This was a very different game to the 2-0 scoreline under Ancelotti.
Good effort all round.
Mike Gaynes
59 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:46:37
Haaland has 23 goals in 13 games for club and country this season. Did anybody really expect Tarkowski and Keane to shut him down for 90 minutes?
Martin Farrington
60 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:48:46
Yet they manage to spot Beto and Barry and the litany of other trash recruitment deemed worthy to wear the shirt. It shows… still shows Everton recruitment never has been and is still not fit for purpose. The huge amount wasted on crud for at least four decades is criminal.
Bereft of striking options for that long, and an incapability for any manager to play to the lone striker’s strength (possibly Ancelotti excluded), we haven’t a hope in hell.
I do not trust those responsible for player recruitment to remedy their huge blunders. With the vast amount of money agents receive from transfer fees and then the players as clients, one has to question corruption as a possible motive.
I am trying to think of another Premier League regular that always puts vast amounts of millions into dreadful players, year-in & year-out, and I can’t think of any, other than us. I do not include yo-yo teams or those who lasted a season or two.
Everton’s academy is equally turgid. Something has to change monumentally for this club to become a feature.
Rob Dolby
61 Posted
18/10/2025 at
17:53:57
Harland needs 5 clear cut chances to score 2, Beto will be lucky to get 5 chances over 3 games.
This City team let you play and allowed us a bit more time on the ball. We kept the ball quite well but lack that bit of quality.
On another day, we get a penalty to level the game… and then who knows?
I thought Röhl looked decent when he came on.
Jay Harris
62 Posted
18/10/2025 at
18:00:18
Both centre-backs were ball-watching for both Haaland goals but the first was down to a mistake by Ndiaye who let the City player run behind him to cross to the only City player in the box.
I thought the gulf in class was obvious and we did well to keep it to two.
Röhl and Iroegbunam seemed to do well but City had eased up by then so it’s difficult to judge.
Mal van Schaick
63 Posted
18/10/2025 at
18:05:00
It was a penalty, he was reckless throwing himself in front of the ball and had his arm out.
Christy Ring
64 Posted
18/10/2025 at
18:14:23
He said if Haaland was playing for Everton and Beto for City, we would have won.
Joe McMahon
65 Posted
18/10/2025 at
18:25:20
I don’t think we are going to see another transfer window like Roberto’s Barry and Lukaku one while I’m still alive.
Robert Tressell
66 Posted
18/10/2025 at
18:47:31
Hopefully a right-back in January to start the process.
Pleased for Röhl.
Colin Glassar
67 Posted
18/10/2025 at
18:56:36
It’s going to be a long road back.
Mark Taylor
68 Posted
18/10/2025 at
19:05:06
I remain of the view that we need to at least try Ndiaye as a striker. He can do that role and he would hardly be less effective than our current duo.
People say ‘sell them’ but who would pay much for them? They really aren’t likely to fetch more than single millions, the way they are playing.
Sean O’Hanlon
69 Posted
18/10/2025 at
19:06:50
He’d be a better choice than that useless excuse for a footballer, Beto.
Bobby Mallon
70 Posted
18/10/2025 at
19:32:01
But I’m glad we didn’t pay £65 million for him as Arsenal did for Göykeres.
John Wignall
71 Posted
18/10/2025 at
19:32:32
And don’t mention the two goalies on the bench… I’ll never work that one out.
Never change, Moyes.
Grant Rorrison
72 Posted
18/10/2025 at
19:36:21
I don’t buy the claim we had a good transfer window or have a good squad full of great options.
Billy Shears
73 Posted
18/10/2025 at
19:37:32
Just saying like!
Kunal Desai
74 Posted
18/10/2025 at
19:39:02
They’ll need to get creative and start using data sets available to them and perform a variation of scenarios/modelling to determine the profile of players they bring, similar to what the likes of Brighton and Bournemouth do.
Identifying that striker(s) should be the priority next summer. Let’s hope they are all joined up and in agreement, there are players out there. These people will now really need to start earning there money.
I expect next summer to be a second wave in the recruitment drive. We need another five or six players in.
Merle Urquart
75 Posted
18/10/2025 at
19:39:26
I couldn’t have summed that up better, we are a club famous for our Number 9s… They’re just shit though… and it is down to poor homework.
We knew we had a problem up front but have closed our eyes and hoped for the best. These two strikers we have now are amongst the worst l have ever witnessed in the Premier League — and we have them both!
Anthony Hawkins
76 Posted
18/10/2025 at
19:40:49
Having a goal-scoring striker has to be the highest priority, ahead of right-back and left-back. <{P>Put the goals away and the pressure is off. Right-back is next on the list.
Joe McMahon
77 Posted
18/10/2025 at
19:59:32
Maybe, as others have said, the Championship is worth a look.
Derek Taylor
78 Posted
18/10/2025 at
20:07:12
Ladies and gentlemen, at a cost of multi £millions, I present Messrs Beto and Barry. Shame on all who scouted you!
Mike Iddon
79 Posted
18/10/2025 at
20:08:57
They didn’t see much of Angell and Madar obviously!
Denver Daniels
80 Posted
18/10/2025 at
21:36:03
That scoreline was as predictable as playing Alcaraz wide left. Never mind the proper wide players in the squad.
Also, Beto’s 2nd missed chance was offside, so wouldn’t have counted.
Peter Mills
81 Posted
18/10/2025 at
21:36:18
So, instead of interchanging their inadequacies during games, I would like the manager to try something different. Anything really. Just something.
Ian Bennett
82 Posted
18/10/2025 at
21:43:31
You can’t expect to win the Monaco Grand Prix when you turn up in a Ford Zephyr…
Peter Mills
83 Posted
18/10/2025 at
22:21:01
And didnt that referee just love spotting the fairly innocuous offence by Garner, letting play carry on for a couple of minutes, then go back to yellow card him, just to show how aware and intelligent a ref he is?
Bill Hawker
84 Posted
18/10/2025 at
22:23:41
That’s given every day of the week for everyone in the Big 6 — and certainly given against Everton if that’s us handling in the box vs Man City.
I’m just tired of the officiating in this league. Tired of it all.
Si Cooper
85 Posted
18/10/2025 at
22:42:43
He was a fraction away from converting Ndiaye’s ball across the 6-yard box because he made the right move to be there. You could equally say Ndiaye put a yard too much pace on the ball or played it half a yard too far forwards.
Intent absolutely does matter in handball but you are allowed to try to block shots. I agree with the officials that the arm was in a natural position and the shot is close range and just happens to hit it. Not a penalty the way things are supposed to be judged at this point in time. It will be a travesty if we see it given in another game.
Tarkowski’s one was different in that he very deliberately moved his torso (and the arm connected to it) to try to block the shot, whereas it’s the trailing part of the body that gets hit today.
I still think that was a harsh judgement to give the penalty because he clearly tried to keep his arm tucked out of the way and where it struck him on the upper arm has been judged not to be handball in recent times.
Mark Murphy
86 Posted
18/10/2025 at
22:54:56
I didnt think that was a penalty and I would be furious if that had been given against us.
Derek Thomas
87 Posted
18/10/2025 at
22:55:06
The very good Haaland gets two chances on a plate with nobody near him. I could’ve scored that header even now, (though that may be a symptom of retired players ‘The older I get, the better I was’ syndrome)
The bang average Beto gets 2 harder chances and, no surprise, can’t score them.
Collectively, Man City were just better than us, not much you can do about that in the short term.
Ray Jacques
88 Posted
18/10/2025 at
22:57:40
Ours is Home Bargains.
Edward Rogers
89 Posted
18/10/2025 at
23:09:37
Some you get, some you don’t, we are definitely in the ‘don’t’ category.
Kieran Kinsella
90 Posted
18/10/2025 at
23:22:04
On the handball, in injury time a similar incident happened when we were attacking and a free kick was given against Garner for handball outside the box. It was like the non-penalty what we used to call “ball to hand” at point blank range with his arm being where your arm tends to hang.
Logically, if that was “foul play”, so was the non-penalty. But with that being said, as a fan, and crappy player of the lowest level, to me, ball to hand should not be given as a handball. The problem is, every year PGMOL seem to tweak what is and what isn’t “handball” so no one knows.
Remember a few years back at Brighton one was called on Keane when basically any arm or hand contact, regardless of position or context, was being called. Then, not long after that, they decided to relax the rules again a bit. But we’ve all seen ones like today’s called.
I think it should not be a penalty but I also wish they’d stop reinterpreting the rules and just be consistent.
Ian Bennett
91 Posted
18/10/2025 at
23:38:12
Piss poor defending from Tarkowski and Keane for those two goals. Nowhere near Haaland. He’s the fucking danger man, just mark him.
Kevin Molloy
92 Posted
19/10/2025 at
00:10:07
He’s showing his quality by being able to get into those positions. If he was as truly bad as some people think, it would be like watching Maupay, he wouldn’t even be able to get into the penalty area.
And he’s missing these chances by inches, it’s not as if he’s falling over and skying it into Row Z. And we were playing the prospective champions on their own patch.
“Doesn’t matter. He’s shit!” … and who are we? A team that’s been fucking dreadful for 10 years. We need a serious reality check.
Mike Gaynes
93 Posted
19/10/2025 at
03:14:37
Apparently the Premier League and the Champions League are all just chock full of piss poor defenders.
Re the penalty, it wasn’t. Among the other factors previously mentioned, one not mentioned is that the ball glanced off his body first.
Don Alexander
94 Posted
19/10/2025 at
03:16:43
I’ve seen legendary Everton strikers, backed by way better players, miss way clearer chances than his at the club allowed by the entire world to literally get away with murder, corruption, and ridicule of any vestige of integrity when it comes to the Premier League.
Bent as fuck? Yeah, for decades.
A competition without any credibility with regard to fairness as some weird people…. Erm, what do you call them, Mr Masters?….. oh, yes, paying fans, how could I forget?!” contend.
Always and forever is the answer, until they too are treated as they’ve treated nearly all of us fans for far too long.
To me it can’t come soon enough.
Eric Myles
95 Posted
19/10/2025 at
06:32:46
I remember Hibbert and Neville having Bale, Kane and Ronaldo in their pockets back in the day.
Mike Gaynes
96 Posted
19/10/2025 at
07:36:29
I believe your memories of Hibbo and Pip having Kane in their pockets are wishful dreams, because according to Transfermarkt and StatMuse, Kane scored 16 goals in 17 appearances against Everton.
And neither Kane nor the other players you mentioned compare to Haaland. Did you know he’s the only Premier League player ever to average more than a goal a game? Nobody else even close. The previous best was Thierry Henry at 0.68 goals per game.
Phil Roberts
97 Posted
19/10/2025 at
08:12:25
Who else would you put in place of the 2nd goalie given that Aznou and Coleman were also on the bench? Patterson? One of the U21s from the team that lost 5-1 to Bradford City?
They are surely going to be better than any one of the 5 he did bring on and I am sure would have turned the game around and given us a 3-2 victory.
Can we stop making stupid statements about the number of goalies on the bench because it is irrelevant with 5 from 9.
Alan J Thompson
98 Posted
19/10/2025 at
08:13:05
You don’t think that one of the central defenders could do what Haaland did for the header, which was to see where the defenders were positioned? It wasn’t as though they had several options to cover as he was the only City player anywhere near.
If Haaland had taken up the position Keane did, then there is no way he would have scored — and where Keane was covering should be the keepers in the absence of any forward.
Similarly, nobody picked him up in our penalty area for the second goal and, as you say, his record seems to indicate that he should get special attention… or do you think nobody mentioned the fact?
Ian Bennett
99 Posted
19/10/2025 at
08:17:17
When the cross went in, there was only one danger. Surely they can see that.
Zonal defending has replaced brains. Central defending used to be one marked and the other swept up behind. It baffles me that both felt the need to run back plus Mykolenko, when there’s only one striker on the pitch. It was hardly the Alamo.
I thought it was poor, preventable goals coughed up, by two lads from a bit of movement. If that’s their level, you can forget playing in Europe.
Alan J Thompson
100 Posted
19/10/2025 at
08:18:42
We send young players out on loan to get experience. Do you not think a place on the bench — even if you don’t intend to use him — might add to a young player’s experience rather than a couple of aging keepers, or even young George Pickford as the second one?
Robert Tressell
101 Posted
19/10/2025 at
08:22:40
– lack of width
– lack of pace on the flanks
– lack of pace at centre-back
We are unusually slow and narrow. We are the stand out Premier League club in this respect.
These three things combine to force the team back, isolate the striker, and make it difficult to counter-attack. It has been the same thing for years.
It is no coincidence that the few seasons of Premier League football when the strikers did score goals coincided with a higher line that had pace and width.
Until these three things are fixed our strikers will have lousy goal tallies.
Dave Abrahams
102 Posted
19/10/2025 at
08:47:16
Mike (93), You are entitled to your version of the penalty but I think a lot of us would have been interested in the VAR’s opinion — did they give one? If they didn’t, I think we were entitled to one.
Tony Abrahams
103 Posted
19/10/2025 at
08:57:00
At least he brought them on, though; if Everton are going to improve, then we need to be more consistent and not just rely on 13 or 14 players.
I don’t think it was a penalty but I have seen them given (to certain teams) — and I’m sure I will see them given again before the year is out.
It’s this type of inconsistency (the best word to use when trying to avoid controversy!) that suddenly means I can take it or leave it with regards to watching top-level football nowadays. For anyone who has ever known me, this is not something many of them could have ever predicted because I have always been football mad.
Football crazy, football mad — but now, when I watch a lot of football, it just makes me feel sad!!
Not bad for a Sunday morning; I’m just trying to bring a little bit of light-hearted jest into a game we were always destined to lose!
Ryan Holroyd
104 Posted
19/10/2025 at
09:50:56
Hes got 24 goals already this season so its not just Everton defenders who struggle against him.
Perhaps, just perhaps hes too good to keep him out
Andy Crooks
105 Posted
19/10/2025 at
09:52:51
Kevin @92, I agree. Missing chances is better than not getting chances. Confidence is so important to strikers and Beto and Barry need to fluke a couple of goals somehow. This is a low point for both of them but it will get better. Now is the time for Moyes to put the arm round the shoulder and boost confidence.
I think the headline is pretty unfair because our like of pace and width makes playing upfront for Everton a nightmare. I actually think only Marcus Bent would fit in right now!
Ryan Holroyd
106 Posted
19/10/2025 at
09:55:52
We have the most batshit crazy fans in the premier league
I cant wait for Moyes to leave and for you cranks to turn on whoever replaces him.
Ajay Gopal
107 Posted
19/10/2025 at
10:14:03
On the penalty appeal, I think the defender knew exactly what he was doing- trying to get his hand in the way of a shot by cleverly making it out to be inadvertent. Is it a coincidence that 2 defenders did it in 2 successive match weeks – Matty Cash for Aston Villa a couple of weeks ago and now the Man City defender yesterday? I dont think so.
Michael Kenrick
108 Posted
19/10/2025 at
10:16:45
Can we stop making stupid statements about the number of goalies on the bench because it is irrelevant with 5 from 9.
Not sure I agree with that view. Moyes has made a huge issue of his players not being ready to play in the Premier League, so he doesn’t play them. Or he brings them off the bench with barely minutes left in the game, which must be a real slap in the face for any player craving meaningful minutes on the pitch — they just don’t get enough time to do anything.
Yes, it potentially disrupts Moyes’s fixed formation and risks conceding more goals, giving us a worse goal difference. So there’s a trade-off.
But, if you are going to make sensible use of the 5 from 9 sub allowance, then surely you improve your options as a manager and you opportunities for players to get time on the field, by going with only one goalkeeper? Two goalkeepers means one less outfield player to choose from.
By your logic, let’s put four goalkeepers on the bench. After all, the manager can only play 5 from 9, so what’s the point of having more than 5 outfield players on the bench?
Brian Harrison
109 Posted
19/10/2025 at
10:22:45
I think we have to acknowledge that Harland is a very special talent, had he been playing up front for us, we probably win that game. I think he is probably the best striker we have seen in the Premier league, many will say he hardly has many touches in the game, but his quality is when he does get a touch it usually results in either a goal or an assist. I think every Evertonian is well aware of how short we are in the main striker role, and that is a major problem that probably wont get fixed till the summer. I think we went there to try and get a result but just couldn’t take our chances when they came.
I do question why we have spent over £60m on 2 young players who are really struggling to make an impact, yes sometimes young players take time to settle but were we in the position of signing players for the future when we didn’t have a lot to spend yet rather than buy players for now we have gambled that these young players will come good at some point in the future. when you add in the cost of Anzou we are talking well in excess of £70m.
I accept we had an ageing squad and we needed to bring down the average age of the squad, but we seem to have lowered the average age of the squad, at the determent of the team.
Raymond Fox
110 Posted
19/10/2025 at
10:42:43
The result was predictable, we played ok and were not embarressed.
Harland was the almost all of the difference between the two sides, thats the reason teams such as City spend fortunes on players.
Danny O’Neill
111 Posted
19/10/2025 at
11:23:44
A bit harsh that Ian @91. I challenge any player at any level to “just mark” the best striker in the world.
I think O’Brien did when still 0-0. Haarland’s sheer presence forced our deference to head one onto the bar. Our bar!!
There’s a reason Haarland has scored 20+ goals already this season and it isn’t down to poor marking.
Conor McCourt
112 Posted
19/10/2025 at
11:45:46
Within a game you may need a goal or two so you take off defenders leaving yourself exposed. After getting the goal you may need to shut up or have to counteract what the other manager has done with his 5 subs.
Having 2 goalies is ridiculous as the chances of 2 goalies getting injured or sent off is remote and most teams will have an outfield player or two who fancies themselves as a goalie in any eventuality.
Limiting your options when the opposition like City will maximise theirs is like ceding a minor advantage to the opposition who already have enough advantages with the talent pool available to them.
With the modern game allowing 5 subs and top clubs managers’ now stressing the importance of finishers makes it much more important now to have as much choice as possible. The idea of token subs is a thing of the past.
For example Arsenal have won so many games from the bench this season especially through Matinelli. Arteta has the choice of starting Trossard there. If he needs skill he can chose Eze, if he needs quality and a killer goal from nothing he can go with Ranieri, if he he needs to get in behind he closes Matinelli. These players can also play either as tens, right wingers or false nines.
Frank Crewe
113 Posted
19/10/2025 at
12:04:05
Barry gets a pass because he’s young and he’s only been at the club about three months. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about Beto. He is beginning his third season here, He is just another DCL. Can’t blame him for lack of effort. But the cross will always be just beyond the reach of his foot or head. He has the tools but lacks the skills to use them properly beyond the odd goal now and again. Great prolific strikers are instinctual like Haaland. They are always in the right place at the right time. The problem is prolific strikers like him are few and far between. So they come with a premium regarding cost, salary and club prestige. A striker like Haaland isn’t going to sign for Everton anytime soon. We can only hope some sharp eyed scout can spot some youngster currently going under the radar at some club we’ve never heard of. Or we develop one of our own in the academy. Although I’m not holding my breath regarding either possibility. All we can do is carry on until the January window and see what’s available then. In the meantime we can only hope the rest of the side make up for the lack of goals from our current strikers.
Who knows, maybe Barry will spring into life and start knocking them in. Although it never happened with Chermiti. Or just about any other striker we’ve had since Lukaku left.
Peter Mills
114 Posted
19/10/2025 at
12:34:52
It may be 6th tier but its a very tough, physical level of football, and should benefit these two young lads.
James Hughes
115 Posted
19/10/2025 at
12:40:03
We have come close to relegation under Lampard and Dyche saved us twice.
But yesterday against a team that has a net spend of
-£2 billion over the past 10 years. But We were crap and Moyes and Beto aren’t fit for the club
We have been badly run since Penfold Moshri took over. Employing Allardyce and matey from across the park both have been bad calls.
We rolled over when Masters and his crew threw PSR at us Citteh are still fighting them.
He has helped build a wnderful new stadum though. We are stll in top flight and alas it will take time to turn this club around under new owners.
But please bear in mind Citteh have spent -£2 billion and we received a points decuction for going over £130 million in debt whist building a new stadium.
But yeah we should hve bought a top drawer forward and new fullbacks and a proper midfiielder
Robert Tressell
116 Posted
19/10/2025 at
12:55:22
The use of two goalkeepers on the bench is not one of them. It simply doesnt matter.
Dave Abrahams
117 Posted
19/10/2025 at
13:36:49
Robert (116) Robert I would much sooner see a young outfield player with potential who is most probably not going to be used than a goalkeeper who is definitely not going to be played, the youngster might get a boost by just being there along with senior outfield players getting a boost by getting more than three or four minutes of playing time.
Stephen Vincent
118 Posted
19/10/2025 at
13:49:29
It does matter Robert, it shows total lack of imagination and total lack of trust in any potential that might exist in the junior ranks. In view of the appalling performances of our 2 ‘strikers’ I would have thought that including a promising Braiden Graham or Omari Benjamin would be far more beneficial than including a 30 year old third choice goalkeeper, who let’s be honest has no chance of ever starting a game.
Ryan Holroyd
119 Posted
19/10/2025 at
13:52:38
Meanwhile, one of our academy players has just gone on loan to *checks notes*….. Marine!
Stephen Vincent
120 Posted
19/10/2025 at
14:02:53
Lay off the sarcasm, Ryan, it is neither clever nor constructive.
Peter Mills
121 Posted
19/10/2025 at
14:06:20
If goalkeeper Fraser Barnsley can get a full season under his belt at Marine, he will learn a lot. I believe he was dealing very well yesterday with corners and crosses against big opponents, and made some excellent saves.
Samuels-Smith’s loan is only until 12 November.
Ian Bennett
122 Posted
19/10/2025 at
14:07:10
If he makes it, great; if he doesn’t and gets a couple of Premier League appearances, surely that increases his value vs a keeper that will be released on a free.
Ryan Holroyd
123 Posted
19/10/2025 at
14:17:37
When people stop spouting nonsense, Steven Vincent, I will.
David Bromwell
124 Posted
19/10/2025 at
14:24:20
All of us who had seen Alcaraz in our last game were keen that he should play yesterday… but as a left-winger? I think he should have started, but inside as the attacking midfielder he is.
Dewsbury-Hall could have been given the Grealish position, or it be covered by the two wingers we had on the bench.
Somebody will tell me that Dewsbury-Hall is not a winger either, but then neither was Jack Grealish, and Kiernan is the nearest type of player we have to him.
Finally, our two centre-backs do seem to have got off lightly, as neither were anywhere near Harland when he scored his goals, most criticism seems to have centred on Beto which is perhaps a little unfair.
Stephen Vincent
125 Posted
19/10/2025 at
14:29:46
Especially when they play in positions where we are sadly lacking.
Steve Stannard
126 Posted
19/10/2025 at
14:32:56
Unfortunately strikers are like gold dust and, with good ones costing £60M+ these days, then, if you can buy them, do they want to join somebody like us? No, they want Champions League.
But we have to find some answers soon as chopping and changing up front between Bill and Ben is costing us. Both of them are not Premier League class; one tries but is not good enough; the other looks lost and a Championship player at best. A total waste of money; I don’t care how long he’s been here. Barry is an expensive Sandro Ramirez.
What’s the answer? God knows… but until we can scout a good unknown or persuade someone like Olly Watkins, Ivan Toney, Mitrovic… or for Wolves to sell before end of season Sander, we have little or no options.
For what it’s worth, I’d play a false 9 like Charly and Ndiaye in his best position at Number 10. It’s got to be worth a try… anything but Bill and Ben. But I won’t hold my breath.
Robert Tressell
127 Posted
19/10/2025 at
14:33:56
I would have thought standards are going to have to get much, much higher for someone to merit a place on our first team bench.
The U18s played yesterday, and presumably it’s better to actually play than sit on the bench to watch a match.
Jimmy Carr
128 Posted
19/10/2025 at
14:47:08
But I see a few posters have said those words for me.
COYB.
Rob Jones
129 Posted
19/10/2025 at
14:54:53
We were well in that game, against a much superior team, and undone by the fact they could deploy the best finisher in world football, and the fact that our strikers won their contracts in Corn Flakes packs.
Stephen Vincent
130 Posted
19/10/2025 at
14:57:13
So please tell me Robert, what has Tom King done to earn a place on the bench, other than play one game for Wolves a few seasons ago?
Alan J Thompson
131 Posted
19/10/2025 at
15:04:47
Ryan(#104); I think you might be confusing me with somebody else as one of my points was that they should know how good his record is and that they should also look to mark him when he is the only forward in our penalty area and I would hope they, like Pickford on penalties, have some sort of knowledge of their opponents and put it to some use which, sadly, they didn’t seem to yesterday.
Robert Tressell
132 Posted
19/10/2025 at
15:07:31
I believe the answer is that he operates (as he did at wolves) as something along the lines of a goalkeeping coach.
Either way though, I very strongly believe this business of 2 goalkeepers on the bench has absolutely no bearing on the outcome of matches or the career trajectory of our academy players. As per the earlier post, it just doesn’t matter.
Ian Bennett
133 Posted
19/10/2025 at
15:29:44
The other could make it or go for a decent fee, with 5-10 epl appearances?
Id have thought blooding Graham on the bench would make more sense from a footballing and financial point of view. Put king with the coaches.
Tommy Carter
134 Posted
19/10/2025 at
15:53:42
We should have done early business on Woltemade. The fee ended up being big with Newcastle but I said as early as May on this website that he should be our man.
The money wasted on Anzou, Barry and Dibling couldve been spent on him. Hes come in and took to Premier League Football splendidly.
Moyes has illustrated once more that he cannot spend big money well. He never has. Im also of the opinion that he cannot judge any player that does not have some kind of existing pedigree in British football.
Why on earth has he spent such huge money on players that at best, are simply not ready for premier league football Yet. Or worse still and more likely, will never be ready for premier league football.
Robert Tressell
135 Posted
19/10/2025 at
15:58:27
If hes to go for a decent fee it will be by scoring more goals, not sitting on a bench.
Mike Gaynes
136 Posted
19/10/2025 at
16:04:56
Steve #126, if we do “scout a good unknown” how long will you give for him to prove himself? Or will you give up on him after 200 league minutes as you have Barry?
Tommy #134, your “should have” is the most outlandish I’ve seen. What in the world makes you think we had the wherewithal to spend £70 million on a striker? And that Woltemade would have come to us instead of playing Champions League with the Barcodes? Sorry, but I think that’s as ridiculous as your instant judgement that Barry, Dibling and Aznou will never be Prem players.
Tony Abrahams
137 Posted
19/10/2025 at
16:36:48
Definitely Kieran💙
Michael Kenrick
138 Posted
19/10/2025 at
16:58:23
Does having 8 outfield players on the bench give the manager more options than 7 in the event of injury or tactical changes?
Does having 8 outfield players on the bench give the manager more options than 7 for youngsters and fringe players to be given match playing time, if circumstances allow?
If neither of these things are in the broader interests of the team and squad progress, please explain why?
Stephen Vincent
139 Posted
19/10/2025 at
17:19:45
Grealish will be back for Spurs and Jarrad is still to come back and Patterson as well. So take the opportunity to include the kids, there is no downside.
Ian Bennett
140 Posted
19/10/2025 at
17:26:52
All chances that he’s not good enough for us. But a Championship team might look at him in the Premier League, and choose to pay £X as they’ve a benchmark in real football.
Did the value of Simms and Cannon increase from Premier League football? Of course it did. Perhaps by a factor of 10-20.
Robert Tressell
141 Posted
19/10/2025 at
17:31:16
The two strikers touted for a spot on the bench are currently 45th and 50th in the U21 league top scorers chart. And as I said earlier, this is a standard of football lower than the top echelons of non-league.
So no, it seems unlikely that they would offer us some genuine tactical etc option – because they are not going to play. And because they’re not going to play, they don’t get the experience of first-team minutes.
As per comments throughout, the use of 2 GKs on the bench therefore has absolutely no impact whatsoever on the outcome of the match or the career trajectories of academy players or the price tag of academy players.
For example, I am pretty sure Callum Bates made up the numbers on the bench a few times last season (possibly alongside a couple of goalkeepers?). This has not made him a sought-after commodity for loan or purchase, not led to any England youth etc recognition and not given him any first team minutes.
It all seems to point very strongly in the direction of not mattering whatsoever.
Robert Tressell
142 Posted
19/10/2025 at
17:38:19
Tom Cannon played 4 times, 33 minutes for Everton and never scored. His price tag was entirely dictated by his performance on loan for Stoke and Preston.
Ellis Simms played 12 times for Everton (but only after completing 3 loans). He scored once. Again, it was essentially his performances on loan at Blackpool, Hearts and Sunderland that drove the price.
Significantly, Cannon and Simms earned the loans that made them through strong performance at U18 and U21 level. That’s exactly what Graham and Benjamin need to do — just as Sherif is doing now.
Dave Abrahams
143 Posted
19/10/2025 at
17:42:59
Braiden Graham was playing in a man’s league at 15 years of age; that’s how he got to Everton and it wasn’t long before he was training with the first team. You’ve seen the Academy teams — they are not very good. It doesn’t mean every player isn’t very good.
One of these days, Everton are going to be leading 2- or 3-nil, like against Wolves and Leicester last season, under Dyche and Moyes… If they have a Graham or Benjamin on the bench, he might get a call — I don’t think they will be bringing a veteran goalkeeper on in the same position.
Ian Bennett
144 Posted
19/10/2025 at
17:47:12
If we don’t have faith to put him on the bench, why would another club pay decent money for players we don’t want?
We all know that the academy either needs to produce players or produce cash to fund incoming. It’s the Premier League model these days.
Andy Crooks
145 Posted
19/10/2025 at
17:49:41
Saying it doesn’t matter is smug and pointlessly defending the indefensible.
Tommy Carter
146 Posted
19/10/2025 at
17:56:22
If by wherewith-all you mean if we could afford to. Then yes, the fees paid for Barry, Dibling and Anzou covers this fee. No doubt their combined wage is more than Woltemade will be earning.
So yes. We could’ve afforded it.
As for him choosing Newcastle ahead of us. It’s precisely the reason why back in May I specifically said we should sign him and do this business early.
Newcastle signing him was entirely conditional on them selling Isak. Something that didn’t happen until late in the window.
As for the 3 players mentioned, I will confidently say Aznou and Barry will never make Premier League players.
I’d go as far to say that Barry is one of the worst strikers that I have ever seen play for Everton.
Dibling, I don’t know. I saw promise at Southampton but Moyes won’t pick him. And it’s because he doesn’t think he’s good enough.
Robert Tressell
147 Posted
19/10/2025 at
18:14:09
You’re suggesting we fast track someone to the bench who hasn’t done anything to earn it yet in either U21s or on loan.
As per my article on the academy a few weeks ago, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Graham, Nsangou and Olayiwola get some minutes this season — probably in a dead rubber. But Graham’s form will need to improve for that — just as it will to secure a career-defining loan move.
Ian Bennett
148 Posted
19/10/2025 at
18:49:58
If he scores or impresses, his stock rises. If he does nothing, he’s at least considered highly thought of at a Premier League club.
Tom King in favour of him tells everyone else he’s nowhere near it. King on the bench feels more like a contract stipulation than a club believing in its youth policy.
I’d have a graduate on the bench for every game. It gives belief in the academy that the door is open, and it’s worth busting a gut.
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