Leicester City 2-2 (4-2) Everton: Instant Reaction | Insufficient

Everton played one of their worst halves of football since Sam Allardyce stalked the Goodison touchline in the first 45 minutes against Leicester City. They were punished with a 2-0 deficit after James Maddison and Jonny Evans scored within three minutes of each other, and it seemed as if that would be that.

It wasn’t.

Tom Davies scored an exquisite volley out of absolutely nowhere, and the Blues began to turn the screws on a reeling Leicester City side.

Anthony Gordon made a late debut, Moise Kean was brought back from an ever-so-brief weekend controversy, and even Cenk Tosun had a rare cameo. Everton threw absolutely everything at the Foxes, and even still, nothing was working. Nothing was working, that is, until Leighton Baines dialed back the clock.

Everton’s 35 year old left back hasn’t played much this season, and that’s fine. One of the best left backs in the world plies his trade at Goodison Park. Lucas Digne’s been having some injury trouble recently, though, and so for at least one more night, Baines pulled on the blue shirt and provided a moment of magic.

Right as the public address announcer informed the crowd that there would be four added minutes, Baines pulled up from distance and rocketed an unstoppable shot past Kasper Schmeichel. There could have been three goalkeepers in the net and it would not have mattered. Considering the circumstances, it may well be the best Everton goal since Jagielka at Anfield. The match was level in the 91st minute, and the party was on.

This is still Everton, though, and despite the euphoria - the sheer bliss of it all - Cenk Tosun and then Baines himself both had their penalties saved, which gave Leicester the victory.

There couldn’t be a happy ending. There never is.