Fans were left grinning ear to ear when leaving Goodison Park for the final time this season as Everton concluded their 2018/19 season with four consecutive home wins without conceding. Two quickfire goals within the opening 20 minutes proved enough for Marco Silva’s team to take the three points and move up to 8th place with one game remaining.
Ending their home campaign with flair Everton made the most of the bulk of possession in the first half playing on the front foot- Dominic Calvert-Lewin, making his 10th successive start stretched the Burnley defence by taking up positions in the wide areas of the pitch. Carrying the ball infield after a pass from Richarlison, the forward looked to find Gylfi Sigurdsson inbetween the lines of defence, the number 10 oppened his body to play a first time pass to the initiator of the move: Richarlison. Powering forward from around 20 yards, the Brazlian tried his luck, the effort knicking off the shin of Ben Mee before nestling in the. corner past Tom Heaton. Richarlison, justly so, was displeased with the goal being adjudged as a Mee own goal, denying the 21-year old of his 14 PL goal this season.
The attacking intent of the home side did not stop there, as Everton looked to pressure for a second straight from the kick-off. Struggling to find space between the tight defensive unit of Burnley, the ball was pushed from right to left. Lucas Digne, hovering on the edge of the box, had a first crack on goal which landed at the feet of Calvert-Lewin whose resulting effort came out to the Frenchman again. This time, the strike found itself on target and too hot to handle for the Burnley goalkeeper, who spilt the ball into the path of captain Seamus Coleman, taking up a Fillipo Inzaghi style position six-yards out. Comfortably heading into the Gwladys Street net and ensuring he wasn’t offside, the Irishman wheeled away in celebration. He did not keep the captain’s armband for the full 90 minutes however.
In what could be his final appearance at Goodison Park as an Everton player, Phil Jagielka was given the minutes of the game replacing Sigurdsson to soak in a rich showing of gratitute from those who have seen him become one of the clubs best centre-halves in recent memory over his twleve years at the club. Whether or not his contract expiring in the summer is his last for Everton, Evertonians made sure their voices were heard chanting, with “there’s only one Jagielka” ringing out following the game.
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