Everton vs Huddersfield: Points shared after two goals in two minutes
Everton 1-1 Huddersfield: Philip Billing's goal was almost immediately equalised by Dominic Calvert-Lewin
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Your support makes all the difference.Dominic Calvert-Lewin single-handedly attempted to rescue a fairly forgettable Goodison Park encounter that posed more questions than it answered about his Everton side.
Marco Silva’s reign in charge of the Toffees is still to bring with it a defeat but draws against Wolves, Bournemouth and, particularly here against a Huddersfield side expected to struggle this season, have hardly offered grounds for unqualified optimism.
Calvert-Lewin was involved in goals at either end, within the space of two minutes, just after the half-hour mark.
After 34 minutes, he inadvertently headed a Chris Lowe corner across his own six-yard line where Philip Billing was somehow left unguarded and able to head past the stranded Jordan Pickford.
But within 87 seconds, Huddersfield’s first lead of the new campaign had been cancelled out by the Everton forward himself who steered an impressive headed, angled finish into the corner of the opposition goal from eight yards.
The excellent cross had come in from league debutant Lucas Digne, selected at left-back in preference to veteran Leighton Baines who, for the first time since 2008, was not selected for an Everton game in which he was fit to play.
Huddersfield, who followed heavy defeats to Chelsea and Manchester City by grinding out a goalless draw at home to Cardiff seven days earlier, made little effort to conceal their policy from kick-off.
Banks of five defenders and four midfield players left 11 Huddersfield players camped in their own defensive half and relying on the pace of Adama Diakhaby and Florent Hadergjonaj on the break.
What Everton needed, of course, was someone with the skill and guile of their Brazilian forward Richarlison to break down the massed defensive ranks but his suspension, following his dismissal at Bournemouth seven days ago, seriously limited his team’s attacking options.
Indeed, the best early opening for Silva’s side came after 12 minutes when centre-half Kurt Zouma unleashed a 30-yard shot which took an unpredictable bounce as it past narrowly wide of Jonas Lossl’s post.
Seamus Coleman shot just wide on the turn and Gylfi Sigurdsson sent awn striker Cenk Tosun who delivered a fierce shot that flew over.
But it was all very laborious and David Wagner’s masterplan, in the early stages at least, was going according to programme.
In fact, it might have gone better than that. After 17 minutes, Rajiv van La Parra squared the ball to Steve Mounie who produced the game’s first on-target shot, one easily held by Pickford.
And Aaron Mooy connected with a poorly cleared corner to send a deflected 25-yard shot wide, a rare Huddersfield attack that was quickly followed by their opening goal, and Everton’s equally swift response.
Theo Walcott’s shot was deflected behind and then the former England winger crossed for Calvert-Lewin to head over as Everton ended the half in the ascendancy.
But Huddersfield opened the second half seemingly suddenly aware that they were capable of emerging from the game with more than a point.
Steve Mounie’s 25-yard shot was held by Pickford, stretching to his full reach, and then the Huddersfield forward held up the ball for van La Parra who hurried a shot disappointingly wide.
Huddersfield maintained the pressure with a Billing cross helped on by van La Parra although Mounie was a standing target and unable to get any power behind a header that was caught easily by Pickford.
Ademola Lookman, the highly-regarded winger who seemed destined for a move from Goodison this summer, came on and produced a cross which Sigurdsson just missed at the near-post as it flew across the unguarded goal.
A corner from substitute Baines also offered Everton a glimmer but Calvert-Lewin was under too much pressure to do anything other than head well over.
And another left-wing delivery from a Baines corner saw Oumar Niasse hook the ball back across goal at the far-post and Cenk Tosun head just over.
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