Finally, a solid comfortable home win for the Blues

03/03/2026

Everton 2 - 0 Burnley

David Moyes keeps faith with the same Everton XI that won at Newcastle United on Saturday for tonight's clash against Burnley at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

After scoring the second goal in that 3-2 success at St James' Park, Beto once again leads the Blues' attack, flanked by wingers Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the No.10 role.

James Garner – making his 100th start in all competitions for Everton – partners Idrissa Gana Gueye in defensive midfield, while the Toffees' backline remains Jake O'Brien, captain James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitalii Mykolenko and keeper Jordan Pickford.

First Half

Dewsbury-Hall did his now customary up & under to get things underway, and the Blues continued to move the ball around in the Burnley half until a turnover led to a quick Clarets breakaway but the final shot was weak.

McNeil#s ball control was questionable in the early exchanges but Beto somehow notched the first Everton corner. Gorner looked for Branthwaite but Foster got to it first. Beto forced another corner, played out Gana whose utterly abysmal attempted shot should see these efforts outlawed.

Ndiaye jinked his way forward but gave the ball away. Everton tried to rebuild again but it was wasteful, Gana booting the ball out of play. Gana went down easily under the hand of Anthony but McNeil's balloned free-kick was easily gathered by an advancing Dubravka.

Ndiaye had lots of space but played it to O'\Brien on the left wing and his cross was to nobody in particular. Dewsbury-Hall was fouled and Everton restarted the pass-and-move-a-bit workaround that so far had gone precisely nowhere. the ball ultimately gifted to Burnley.

Garner did a great midfield recovery, Dewsbury-Hall deciding to pivot and play it out to McNeil but another awful cross. More workaround finally saw Ndiaye jink inboard, and another corner. This one finally came to Dewsbury-Hall who curled his shot high over the bar.

The Blues were totally dominating the play but creating next to nothing in the first 20 minutes despite loads of possession.

From a deep throw-in Beto did well to play in Ndiaye who looked to shoot but it was blocked. Burnley had some rare possession of their own until they punted forward and behind for an Everton goal-kick.

A long diagonal ball from Tarkowski led to another Everton corner, Tarkowski adjudged to have fouled defender or goalkeeper. Another building venture saw lots more earnest workaround, McNeil eventually fouled.

Garner's free-kick curled away nicely from Dubravka, who had to backtrack while James Tarkowski at the end of the line delivered a perfect header into the far corner.

Burnley got a free-kick that Hannibal sent straight to Pickford. Beto fought his way to a free-kick, Garner playing it short to Dewsbury-Hall who shot over. Beto tried to force something but the ball squirmed across goal and was recovered by Dubravka.

Burnley had another spell of possession that led to nothing. O'Brien got himself into trouble and it needed Garner's clearance to blunt the cross. McNeil played a good ball that Ndiaye had to fight for but then lost.

Garner drove Everton forward, but nothing came of it and Dewsbury-Hall fouled his man. Gana and Ndiaye exchanged a lot of passes wide left and eventually Mykolenko was fouled for a late free-kick in 3 minutes of added time.

Garner put in a beautiful delivery that Branthwaite glanced on but Dubravka punched it away, Dewsbury-Hall following up with a shot that was deflected away from goal and behind. Another corner but Dubravka pounced on McNeil's attempt. Ndiaye felt he was fouled as he fell into the penalty area, VAR deciding it was outside.

From the last throw of the half, another half-chance fell to McNeil but his shot was blocked, and Everton went in at the break a goal to the good, on the back of 62.6% possession.

Second Half

It took a wee while for things to get going after the break, Burnley getting upfield and winning a throw that Walker took long, easily cleared. A scary pass from Dewsbury-Hall was rescued by Tarkowski with Anthony lurking.

A good piece of football saw Ndiaye release Dewsbury-Hall wide left, the cross whipped in to Beto but no clean header for the big galoot. But Burnley were having more of the game until there was a nice counter and Ndiaye scored but he had gone too far forward and was offside on Gana's pass.

More scrappy rearguard stuff suggested Everton were not exactly paying full attention. Foster was able to advance and win a corner off Branthwate, with changes made by Burnley, Ward-Prowse taking a good corner but it was headed behind at the near post.

Everton passed the ball around nicely until Ndiaye played Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall forward and he deftly clipped the ball over the advancing Dubravka for Everton's second goal of the evening, a very nice team goal.

McNeil made a good run forward but was not supported well enough. Beto spum away from Humphreys who had to drag him back.

Everton settled into a controlling pattern, passing the ball around well and reducing Burnley to rare sights of the ball. A marvellous sequence of skill from Gana saw him make a great holding challenge before eh spung up and floated one for the far corner, smacking off the crossbar.

Dewsbury-Hall was fouled 25 yards out, Garner tapping it for Dewsbury-Hall who stung Dubravka's gloves with a deflected shot. Good pressure led to a corner but not much more.

Great play from Ndiaye saw him whip in a ball but somehow Dubravka got to it at the near post and not Beto. McNeil was played in and crossed for Beto but he seemed to have no idea how to make the ball his own.

McNeil played in Beto but he had aborted his run toward the ball and any chance evaporated. Everton played out the rest of the game fairly comfortably, Moyes making a few changes to break things up.

Right at the death, Burnley won a corner that was flicked at Pickford from close range, who had to produce another lightning-fast reaction save to stop it going in.

Everton: Pickford, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite (83' Keane), Mykolenko, Gana (87' Iroegbunam), Garner, McNeil (87' George), Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye (90+4' Dibling), Beto (83' Barry).

Subs not Used: Travers, Patterson, Röhl, Armstrong.

Burnley: Dubravka; Humphreys [Y:64'], Worrall (57' Tchaouna), Estève; Walker, Florentino (57' Ward-Prowse), Ugochukwu (83' Barnes), Lucas Pires; Hannibal Mejbri (72' Laurent), Anthony; Foster.

Subs not Used: Weiss, Hartman, Bruun Larsen, Ekdal, McMahon-Brown.

Referee: Tim Robinson. VAR: Neil Davies.

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