Leeds may have felt pressure after Nottingham Forest and West Ham closed the gap over the weekend but showed no discernible sign of nerves at Everton. Daniel Farke’s visitors claimed a well-earned point at Hill Dickinson Stadium following a dominant first half display. It could have been much more but for the David Moyes changes that turned the tide Everton’s way in the second half.
Thierno Barry’s encouraging recent run continued as he cancelled out James Justin’s opener with an excellent finish. Everton were a distant second best until Moyes changed personnel and formation.
Everton marked the recent death of Tommy Wright with a period of applause before kick-off. Wright, considered one of the club’s finest full-backs, won the FA Cup with his boyhood team in 1966, the league championship in 1970 and also represented England at the World Cup in Mexico that year.
There was also a presentation to Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye to celebrate their triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal. Their return was well-timed for Moyes, particularly with Jack Grealish facing a lengthy spell out with a fractured foot, but despite Ndiaye’s trickery on the left the newly-crowned champions were unable to spark an improvement in Everton’s insipid home form.
