Everton 1-2 Burnley: Instant Reaction | Awful Toffees lose at home again

Everton’s European hopes were dealt another blow as their Goodison Park struggles continued with a hugely disappointing result against performance against Burnley.

The damage was done in a sloppy opening period that saw Burnley go 2-0 up thanks to Chris Wood and Dwight McNeill.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed the Toffees back into the game before the break, but they could find the equaliser.

It means Everton missed the chance to move into fifth place and within two-points of fourth-placed Chelsea.

If the Toffees miss out on Europe this season, it’s games like this that let them down.

You can file this alongside Leeds, West Ham, Newcastle and Fulham. Home points cast aside and you can say Everton were unlucky to lose any of them.

Carlo Ancelotti made just one change from Monday’s defeat at Chelsea, with Tom Davies coming in for the injured Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Richarlison had the game’s first effort when his shot from distance was pushed behind by Pope.

If you thought that would signal a half dominated by the Toffees you were sadly mistaken. Instead, it was Burnley who raced into a 2-0 lead

Tom Davies was easily muscled off the ball by Josh Brownhill to leave Everton caught short at the back. McNeil’s cross from the left was then cleared by Michael Keane only as far as Wood, who curled the ball beyond an unmoved Jordan Pickford into the corner.

If Burnley’s opener was largely down to poor Everton defending, their second was simply a touch of class.

McNeil expertly span away from Allan before curling a wonderful effort from 25 yards right into the top corner.

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Photo by Jon Super/PA Images via Getty Images

Everton were all over the place at this stage and very nearly found themselves 3-0 down when Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s effort from distance smacked off the post.

Pickford looked to have suffered a rib injury diving to try and save Gudmundsson’s shot and despite getting treatment looked uncomfortable for the rest of the half.

Everton needed to get back into the game quickly and, thankfully, they did. Davies’ wonderful delivery from the right was headed home from close range by Calvert-Lewin.

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Richarlison, who was managing to find pockets of space between the Burnley midfielder and defence, then had an effort from distance well held by Pope in what was becoming an increasingly open game.

Godfrey did superbly well to block another shot before Calvert-Lewin sent a header over from Andre Gomes’ free-kick.

Pickford’s race was run shortly before the break, with Joao Virginia replacing him for his Premier League debut.

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Everton started the second half on top and forced Pope in a decent save from Gomes’ long-range effort.

Calvert-Lewin then missed a glorious opportunity to level from six yards out when he mis-timed his header from Digne’s cross.

Calvert-Lewin’s control was letting him down at crucial moments and it did so again when he let Davies’ lovely lofted ball over the top escape from feet and Pope could claim.

Ancelotti responded on 65 minutes by bringing on Josh King for Davies, who for me was far from the worst-performing player in the side.

Burnley had offered little in the second period at this stage but very nearly scored thanks to a calamitous mix-up between Virginia and Godfrey, with Matej Vydra mis-hitting the ball in front of an open goal.

That seemed to fire up the Clarets as moments later Ben Mee hit the bar with a header from a corner, before Vydra saw a drilled effort just about held by Virginia.

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That prompted Carlo into another switch, with Seamus Coleman coming on for the disappointing Mason Holgate.

Virginia was brought into action again when he parried away Jay Rodriguez’s shot.

Meanwhile Everton’s play at the other end was becoming increasingly ragged - something we have become grimly accustomed to in recent months.

Gomes had a shot from distance wide but it never looked like troubling Pope. It was all a bit desperate.