Your Everton morning headlines for Thursday, April 21.
Frank Lampard handed new midfield problem but two unlikely stars emerge
Perhaps Everton wouldn't have been in such a precarious position towards the end of the match if they had set up in a different manner for this game, however. You can certainly see why Frank Lampard wanted to keep things as close as possible to some strong performances in recent weeks in terms of his system, but Leicester found it a little too easy to exploit.
Allan and Fabian Delph, who had been fantastic as a pair in front of the back four against Manchester United 11 days previously, were largely ineffective as the visitors dominated the ball in the opening exchanges this time around. Brendan Rodgers' side always seemed to have a man in the half-spaces, which Everton were not covering.
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While Lampard 's gameplan was to win a midfield battle and try to force their way through the middle, as had been effective against United, Leicester were clearly prepared. They played around the pair in the middle and often left them chasing shadows - with James Maddison and Harvey Barnes particularly finding a lot of joy around the edge of the box.
The Foxes were 1-0 up in the first period but that didn't reflect the dominance that they had displayed in especially the opening 20 minutes of this clash. Eventually, that really came back to bite them.
Frank Lampard explains Dele Alli plan and makes Everton training claim
Frank Lampard said Dele Alli earned his opportunity against Leicester City through his attitude and work at Finch Farm.
The former Tottenham Hotspur star had a significant impact after being brought on for Allan with Everton trailing in the second half. It was his cross that fell to Richarlison for the Blues’ stoppage time equaliser as Everton battled until the final minutes before snatching a late draw.
Lampard said he was pleased that Alli was able to influence the game - and that he deserved the plaudits for his role in a goal that could be crucial to Everton’s survival hopes.
He said: "We needed a goal, and he's trained well. To play at this level, with this competitive squad, you need to train at a maximum.”
