A Kevin Mirallas strike was enough for Everton to secure a 1-0 win in an intriguing clash against 10-man Burnley at Goodison Park on Saturday.
James McCarthy’s cutback from right-wing found Arouna Kone, whose deft flick played in Mirallas. The Belgian coolly slotted past Burnley keeper Tom Heaton at the second attempt in the 28th minute.
The home side enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the opening half and should have opened the scoring 10 minutes in.
David Jones clipped Aaron Lennon after the winger darted into the penalty area, though the foul seemed to begin just outside the area. Referee Mike Jones was left with a tough decision and pointed to the spot after some consideration.
Ross Barkley took responsibility for the spot kick, but Heaton saved his effort brilliantly.
The Clarets were to survive this time, but their task, after Mirallas’ opener, was made a whole lot more difficult after Ashley Barnes was shown a second yellow card for a cynical foul on Seamus Coleman.
The Blues put their foot down in the second-half and should have consolidated their advantage with no shortage of chances. McCarthy in particular was presented with a golden opportunity to double his side’s lead from close-range but was only able to direct his strike fractionally wide of Heaton’s left post.
The win is Everton’s fourth in five matches, a streak that has seen Roberto Martinez’s team pick up 13 points from a possible 15.
Burnley, on the other hand, now sits bottom of the table after Leicester City’s 2-0 win over Swansea City earlier in the day.
Everton wasteful in front of goal
Despite notching up the win, the Toffees will be disappointed they could only muster a solitary goal, despite dominating almost every facet of the match.
They enjoyed 66% of the ball, 21 shots on goal versus 10, eight on target versus one and an extra player on the pitch.
A win is a win, but finishing remains an issue that needs to be addressed at Goodison. The lack of goals against Burnley, despite its domination, was something of a reflection of Everton’s jittery season so far.
Why isn’t Leighton Baines taking penalties anymore?
Ever since Mirallas started the trend of claiming spot kick responsibilities in January, something of a merry-go-round has ensued when it comes to penalty takers at Everton.
To recap, Mirallas stepped up to the spot against West Brom on January 20 and missed, despite regular taker, Leighton Baines, being on the pitch.
Responsibility was then passed on to Romelu Lukaku, who, to his credit, dispatched the chance he was given against Newcastle. Again, Baines was ever-present.
In Saturday’s match, 21-year-old Barkley claimed penalty duties, again with Baines over his shoulder. Like Mirallas, however, he missed, and fans were left to again lament another spot kick shambles.
So why isn’t Baines taking Everton’s penalties anymore? His most recent effort was saved by Manchester United’s David De Gea at Old Trafford, but prior to that Baines had nailed 13 of 13 penalties.
Being one of the Premier League’s best and most proven spot kick specialists, one has to wonder why the left-back has so often played second fiddle to others.
Kieran Trippier has a permanent future in the top flight
A shining light in a difficult day for the battling club was the continued improvement of former Manchester City right-back Kieran Tripper, who looks to have a future in the Premier League, should the Clarets’ relegation fears become reality.
The 24-year-old was highly regarded even when Burnley was fighting for promotion in the Championship and his season to date, on a personal level at least, has backed that notion up.
He started brightly against Everton, delivering two sumptuous balls into the penalty area in the opening five minutes. Trippier attempted a further eight crosses and adhered to his defensive duties, completing seven clearances and two interceptions.
If Sean Dyche’s side does in fact go down, expect Trippier to rouse interest amongst Premier League clubs, loyalty permitting.
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