Jonjo Shelvey’s second half penalty cancelled out Aaron Lennon’s opener as the spoils were shared at the Liberty Stadium in a tight 1-1 draw.
Dutch striker Marvin Emnes, introduced in the 16th minute after Bafetimbi Gomis picked up a hamstring injury, won the penalty after Seamus Coleman handled the ball close to the byline.
The Everton right-back seemed to have expected referee Michael Oliver to award a foul against Emnes, but his whistle never came and a spot-kick was awarded and duly dispatched by Shelvey.
Swansea’s leveller seemed to swing the momentum back in its favour after Lennon opened the scoring in the 41st minute. McCarthy picked out the on-loan winger with a pin-point ball from the left-hand side, and Lennon kept his composure and put his shot beyond Lukasz Fabianski’s reach.
Referee Oliver was again in the thick of the action after a late challenge from Arouna Kone went unpunished, when a second yellow would have seen the Ivorian given his marching orders.
Both sides enjoyed periods of dominance throughout the 90 minutes. A groin injury to Leon Osman saw a second early change come about in the match with Steven Pineaar introduced. His influence turned the game in the away side’s favour and played a vital role in Lennon’s goal.
The second-half, by contrast, belonged to Swansea for the most part, and their persistence was rewarded by Shelvey’s strike.
A point sees Swansea level the club’s greatest ever points tally with 47, set by Brendan Rogers in the 2011-12 season.
Swans unable to break Everton duck
In an incredible fete, the Welsh club was able to equal an already impressive record of 47 Premier League points, a record that was set by Brendan Rogers in Swansea’s first season of the Premier League (2011-12).
While that achievement should be met only by praise, Gary Monk’s team was unable to break another club record, only this one is not such good reading for the club’s fans.
Swansea is still yet to beat Everton in the Premier League, with today’s result notching up a fourth draw between the two while the Toffees have claimed nine victories.
Barkley banishes doubts surrounding his best position
Ross Barkley has not hit the lofty heights of last season, a possible side effect of toing and froing with regards to the player’s best position. The youngster has been deployed on either wing frequently and has, more often than not, been disappointing.
Against Swansea, however, Barkley played in the number 10 role, a position that most argue has always been his best. Based on his performance, it is hard to argue against this.
The England midfielder was always seeking possession and was confident on the ball, completing an outstanding 93% of passes including two key passes and had four efforts on goal.
With Barkley expressing himself in such a way, it is hard to see him playing anywhere other than behind the centre-forward in the foreseeable future.
Loanee’s permanent signature should be a priority for Martinez
Prior to Spurs winger Lennon’s arrival at Goodison Park, the Toffees looked devoid of pace and ideas along either flank.
His injection, however, has delivered both the aforementioned attributes as well as goals; Lennon now has two for the Merseysiders, one of which came last night against Swansea.
With the player delivering in spades for the Blues and seemingly unwanted by his parent club, Lennon promises to be a cheap solution for Everton and would cost the club only £6 million.
[interaction id=”552a15977fdf079b4e3242d8″]
Fabianski in his element at Swansea
Swansea keeper Fabianski has seen his career take a turn for the better since joining the club from Arsenal and his excellent display against Everton showed exactly how far he has come.
The Pole was in command of his penalty area and was able to mop up just about everything that came his way, completing three catches and four saves. Ultimately there was no clean sheet, but the player’s efforts were another huge leap forward for the once-maligned shot stopper.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
