As Premier League spectacles go, Gareth Southgate could easily have picked a more entertaining way to spend his Saturday afternoon. With the England manager back on his old stamping ground to watch his former club attempt to record a fourth successive victory since his predecessor’s return, a stubborn defensive performance from 10-man Everton was enough to earn Sean Dyche’s side a point that could prove to be extremely valuable.
While it was not enough to stop them from dropping into the bottom three after Leicester’s win over Wolves, even more heartening for Dyche after his side survived Mason Holgate’s red card 10 minutes from time will have been the sight of Dominic Calvert-Lewin lasting until the 90th minute before being substituted. The England striker could not take a golden opportunity to secure only Everton’s second away win of the campaign but at least provided a fulcrum in attack that has been sorely missing all season.
