A frantic final 15 minutes saw Everton and Watford split the opening day points at Goodison Park in a fluctuating contest on Saturday.
The Premier League environment held no fears for Watford if the first half was anything to go by. An energetic opening 15 minutes was made to count as Miguel Layun lashed a strike beyond Tim Howard in the 15th minute.
The Hornets continued to hold their own in the opening 45 as Everton struggled to find their rhythm, drawing restlessness and spatterings of boos at half time as though the previous campaign had never ended.
It was the home side that came out with intent after half time, however, and immediately the chances flowed. Deliveries from the right-hand side courtesy of Seamus Coleman and Kevin Mirallas went unanswered with an end product still lacking.
Roberto Martinez rolled the dice in the 63rd minute, replacing left-back Brendan Galloway with luckless striker Arouna Kone. The Ivorian’s first significant involvement was exactly that – significant. He collected the ball at the top of the penalty and distributed a smart layoff for the oncoming Ross Barkley, who thumped swerving strike into Heurelho Gomes’ top corner on 76 minutes.
The Merseysiders looked to have the league new boys firmly pinned into their own half, but a direct counter-attack saw another substitute, Odion Ighalo, on the ball. The fan favourite cut inside from the left, wrong-footed both John Stones and Phil Jagielka and calmly converted with seven minutes remaining.
One final twist remained, however. Kone popped up again on the right-hand side, sending an accurate strike across Gomes that snuck just inside the post to square things up just three minutes after Ighalo gave Watford the advantage.
The 2-2 result means Everton have now drawn their previous three opening day matches by the same score, with the most recent two coming against promoted sides.
They face a challenging early Saturday fixture next up against Southampton, while Watford will play their first home match against West Bromwich Albion.
Substitutes make all the difference
Both Martinez and Qique Flores were rewarded for changing the dynamic in their respective sides. Martinez gambled, replacing full-back Galloway with attacker Kone. For Watford, 26-year-old Ighalo, who would partner Troy Deeney up front, replaced Jose Jurado.
Both players played pivotal roles in the result. Kone had a hand in both Everton goals, setting up Barkley’s rocket and scoring a smart goal himself in the 86th minute to earn the Toffees a share of the points.
Ighalo, a key man in Watford’s promotion success, received the ball with plenty to do and little support. He took responsibility upon himself, leaving Everton’s central defensive duo for dead and slotting past a helpless Howard with immense composure.
Confidence for Kone
His Everton career has been plagued by injuries and a lack of confidence, but a game-changing performance off the bench could prove the catalyst for the much-maligned Arouna Kone to final kick-start his time on Merseyside.
The Ivorian was deployed at right-wing midway through the second half in an attack-minded shift from Martinez and gave the Blues an extra dimension up front.
The 31-year-old put the ball on a platter for Barkley, who put Everton back on level pegging with an early contender for goal of the season.
GOAL: Ross Barkley http://t.co/jYcmOY4yvF
— EFC Stats (@EFCStats) August 8, 2015
His next contribution was equally as important, receiving a pass from Romelu Lukaku and dispatching his effort beyond the reach of the Watford keeper to ensure one point would remain at Goodison.
The cameo made a strong case for Kone to start next week at St Mary’s, though Martinez may now see him as the ideal impact player.
Watford’s early case for survival
They have been tipped by some in the football community to return to the Championship at season’s end, but Watford’s performance showed they have the quality to not only avoid the drop, but challenge many sides in the Premier League.
Seasoned campaigners Valon Behrami, Etienne Capoue and Craig Cathcart, amongst others, enjoyed sound debuts for the Hornets and can provide a strong foundation for the team from Hertfordshire.
The attack, which punished the Everton defence, boasts quality and depth, and the man at the helm, ex-Atletico Madrid boss Flores, can bring out the best in his squad tactically.
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