Everton 2-1 Leicester City
When the Premier League paused in mid-March, Leicester City seemed certs for a Champions League spot.
Yes, they had a wobble but they still held a five-point advantage over fourth-placed Chelsea and an eight-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester United.
But now that the game has resumed following an enforced hiatus, Leicester City’s bid for a place at European football’s top table next term seems less clear.
This defeat at Goodison Park means Brendan Rodgers’ side are still searching for a first win since the restart and the gap is closing.
Indeed, at the end of this encounter it was his opposite number who was talking excitedly about Europe.
Highlights of the game
A close contest was anticipated, and for the home side, the Premier League 2020 highlights all arrived inside little more than the opening quarter of an hour.
A week on since their last outing – a rarity in this post-lockdown rush to conclude the 2019-20 season – the Toffees were quick out of the traps to leave the Foxes chasing their tail.
In only his second top-flight start, Anthony Gordon’s whipped cross from the left found Richarlison and the Brazilian beat Kasper Schmeichel with an emphatic close-range finish for his 11th goal of the season.
That advantage was doubled shortly afterwards, albeit after a wait for VAR which ruled the ball had struck Wilfred Ndidi’s outstretched arm during an aerial challenge with Michael Keane.
The decision may have shocked Everton. After all, it was the first penalty they had been awarded in 39 league games.
It was also the first they have scored at Goodison since Wayne Rooney against Swansea in December 2017 as Gylfi Sigurdsson was calmness personified from the spot.
Into the second half and the introduction of Kelechi Iheanacho and James Maddison injected much-needed urgency into the visitors.
In fact, the former reduced the arrears when Jamie Vardy flicked a Youri Tielemans cross into his path inside the area. The striker’s first touch was heavy but an attempted clearance struck the Nigerian frontman and sailed beyond Jordan Pickford.
If there was an element of luck about that, fortune was with Everton when Keane made a fine goal-line clearance after a fumble from the unconvincing Pickford, while Iheanacho blasted over a gilt-edged chance.
Yet Everton were not to be denied and still harbour outside hopes of a Europa League spot.
Leicester still control their own destiny as far as Champions League qualification is concerned, but the Premier League 2020 betting odds are getting longer with each passing week.
Key statistics
Everton have now gone nine Premier League home games unbeaten for the first time since 2013.
Since the start of last season, Richarlison has scored 24 Premier League goals for Everton, at least five more than any other player for the club in this time. The Brazilian has three goals in his last four games versus Leicester.
Neymar (28) is the only Brazilian with more goals than Richarlison (24) in the top five European leagues since the start of last season.
Everton have not lost any of the last 58 home league games where they have been two or more goals ahead at half-time, winning 56 and drawing the other two.
The Toffees now have 44 points after 32 matches, already bettering their total of 40 from 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Carlo Ancelotti has lost only three of his 45 Premier League home matches as a manager (won 35, drawn seven).
Leicester have triumphed in just two of their 14 Premier League matches at Goodison (drawn seven, lost five) and won only four of their past 16 league fixtures overall (drawn five, lost seven).
However, the Foxes have won seven of their 16 Premier League away matches this term, a tally they have only bettered in the top flight in 2015-16 (11) and 1965-66 (nine).
Rodgers had been unbeaten in eight games against Everton before this match.
Since making his Premier League debut in August 2015, Iheanacho has scored eight goals as a substitute. Only Olivier Giroud (16) has more in that time frame.
His goal meant the Toffees have become the first club to concede 2,500 top-flight home goals (although Everton have the second-highest unbroken spell in the top flight, playing there continuously since 1954).
What’s next?
Leicester are back in action on Saturday afternoon (July 4) as they host Crystal Palace before a visit to Arsenal just three days later in what is an unforgiving schedule – even by the standards of Project Restart. It’s a game this SBOBET observer believes is a must-win for them.
Everton do get a few extra days off before travelling to Spurs on Monday (July 6) and then host Southampton three nights later.
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