A truly spectacular Gylfi Sigurdsson goal secures Everton a 1-1 draw in Croatia that sees them safely through to the group stages of this season’s Europa League.
Here are the notes from a memorable away day for the Toffees.
Sigurdsson stars
It took the time a volleyed ball travels 50 yards for Gylfi Sigurdsson to announce himself as an Everton player.
The Iceland international marked his first start for the Merseyside club by scoring one of the more memorable goals of this, or any other, season when he shot from wide on the right and sent the ball over the Hajduk Split keeper and into the net.
He has always had an eye for a goal – he’s hit 42 of them across six Premier League campaigns, often for a struggling Swansea City side – but few come close to his spectacular effort in Croatia.
It was the high point of a generally impressive personal run-out.
Ronald Koeman shifted from his 3-5-2 used at Man City to revert to a familiar 4-2-3-1, with Wayne Rooney as a lone striker supported by Ademola Lookman and Dominic Calvert-Lewin on the flanks.
Sigurdsson was handed the Number 10 role, but such is the fluidity in Everton’s attacking line-up that the new man frequently popped up wide on the left – a position in which he excelled at Swansea City – while Rooney, as ever, often dropped deep to enable the Icelander to run beyond him.
At the back, Cuco Martina weas recalled as Phil Jagielka and Mason Holgate dropped to the bench. That compounds the uncertainty at right-back, which is problematic for us as we remain unclear who the potential 4.5 option could be.
Everton struggled in the first half, absorbing large swathes of pressure as they defended a 2-0 first leg advantage.
They went in a goal down at the interval, but Sigurdsson’s strike, seconds into the second period, transformed the team.
Aaron Lennon’s half-time introduction, at the expense of Lookman, brought pace and directness on the right and Rooney (twice) and Calvert-Lewin wasted big chances to secure an away victory as Sigurdsson grew ever more influential.
The matches keep on coming
The Toffees came through a tough test in Croatia, but now face three more of them over the next three Gameweeks, starting with a trip to Chelsea on Sunday and then taking in Spurs at home and a visit to Old Trafford the other side of the international break.
Davy Klaasen has a foot injury that is likely to keep him sidelined until after the international break and with Morgan Schneiderlin suspended and Sandro struggling with a heel problem, Koeman currently has few options in midfield and further forward.
The manager chose to omit Idrissa Gueye, who was recovering from a minor hamstring problem, with the Senegal international expected to be swapped in for Schneiderlin in the double pivot for the Chelsea match.
The schedule will ease, and yet stiffen
Fantasy Premier League investment in Everton assets has been relatively modest, with only four players currently enjoying double-digit ownership.
One of those, Jordan Pickford (10.7%), saved a penalty in Split and has settled superbly into his new club.
Defenders Michael Keane (14.2%) and Leighton Baines (10.3%) join the keenly-priced Rooney (7.5 and 19.3%) to complete that quartet, with managers shying away while the Toffees continue to endure their testing early schedule.
Sigurdsson (5.4%) will surely join Everton’s double-figure club sooner rather than later, particularly as the side’s domestic fixtures ease from Gameweek 6 onwards, with back-to-back home matches with Bournemouth and Burnley.
Those encounters signal the start of a run in which only clashes with Arsenal and Liverpool stand out as major tests all the way through to Gameweek 19.
But their qualification for the group stages of the Europa League means that Everton will now have to play twice-weekly in September (two times), October, November (twice again) and early in December, which could lead to a degree of rotation.
Their first group match will take place three days before a trip to Manchester United, while the third precedes a visit from Arsenal and their final match comes just two days before the Merseyside derby.
