Gylfi Sigurdsson double guides Everton to victory against Cardiff City
Cardiff City 0-3 Everton: The Icelander scored in either half – for his 11th and 12th goals of the season – to give his side their first victory in four matches
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Your support makes all the difference.Gylfi Sigurdsson celebrated his return to south Wales by scoring twice to end Everton’s run of poor form and increase Cardiff’s relegation fears.
The Icelander scored in either half – for his 11th and 12th goals of the season – to give his side their first victory in four matches in his first game back over the border since he left Swansea City 18 months ago.
With Dominic Calvert-Lewis confirming all three points deep into injury time, it was a deserved win for Marco Silva’s side who were rarely troubled by a lacklustre Cardiff side who look extremely vulnerable to the drop on this kind of showing.
With six of Cardiff’s remaining 10 fixtures away from home, the danger signals are flashing again for Neil Warnock whose side will go back into the bottom three if Southampton beat Fulham on Wednesday.
For Everton, this was just the dominant performance they needed after an indifferent spell with Sigurdsson at the centre of all their best work, in addition to his two clinical strikes.
Both managers had decided to shake things up and make five changes in a bid to transform their fortunes.
For Silva the changes came after three successive defeats and an enforced period of introspection after 17 days without a fixture.
Silva brought in Seamus Coleman, Phil Jagielka, Morgan Schneiderlin, Theo Walcott and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Warnock’s time spent pondering was more brief, but perhaps more painful. The 5-1 thrashing inflicted on his team at the same stadium four days before led to recalls for Aron Gunnarsson, Junior Hoilett, Bobby Reid, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Kenneth Zohore.
Zohore’s first contribution was a positive one as he swept down on a mistake by Phil Jagielka, only to lack the accuracy with his cross that would have made it a simple tap in for Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
Everton steadied themselves and might have gone ahead if a shot from Idrissa Gueye had not struck the body of Sean Morrison, or if Theo Walcott’s dipping volley had not just cleared the bar.
Cardiff looked limited in possession and appeared content to concede territory in the hope they might be able to catch Everton on the break.
It was a tactic that appeared capable of keeping them on level terms but their game became increasingly ragged and they fell behind four minutes before the interval.
Everton made the most of an error by Joe Bennet to advance down the right with a precise ball by Morgan Schneiderlin finding Seamus Coleman.
The full-back had enough composure to pick out Gylfi Sigurdsson in the penalty area with a low cross and the Icelandic midfielder drove his shot beyond Neil Etheridge to put Everton ahead.
Cardiff could hardly complain they were unfamiliar with the dangers posed by Sigurdsson as it was his goal that separated the teams when they met at Goodison Park back in November.
Warnock must have turned up the heat with his half-time pep talk as his Bluebirds began the second-half with more urgency and energy.
Zohore and Bobby Reid began to find space behind the Everton defence, although neither had the sureness of touch or instinct to make it tell as they searched for the equaliser.
Silva decided he needed to make a switch, but instead of adding ballast to his midfield, he took off the ineffectual Richarlison and replaced him with another Brazilian, Bernard.
It proved an inspired switch as within minutes Bernard had set up a second goal for Everton – and for Sigurdsson to put the visitors in complete command.
He tricked his way past Bruno Manga on the left and although his cross was palmed away by Neil Etheridge the ball only reached as far as Sigurdsson, who gleefully hammered it high into the net.
Everton made their victory safe in injury time when Dominic Calvert-Lewis outpaced the home defence on the break to fire past a stranded Etheridge.
Successive victories on the road had given Cardiff fresh purpose and belief but on this form they appear destined for relegation.
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