At 18:45, fans received a welcome boost as Everton announced the squad. Illiman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye both returned to the starting line-up after their successful holiday, while Carlos Alcaraz, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jarrad Branthwaite were all named on the bench. Dominic Calvert-Lewin returned to face his former employers.
Leeds, set up in a 3-5-2 formation, caused Everton problems from the off. With Pascal Struijk often manoeuvring into midfield, it created overloads and allowed Daniel Farke’s men to move the ball with ease. The Dutch defender had the first meaningful attempt of the evening after five minutes, as he was unmarked on the edge of the box on the left. His effort skied over, but it was a sign of things to come. Only minutes later, Leeds worked the ball with ease from left to right before it was fired in towards Anton Stach, who poked it forward towards Calvert-Lewin. Jordan Pickford rushed out to smother the former Blue, but it was too close for comfort for the home supporters, who voiced their concerns.
There was only one team that looked like scoring, and it certainly wasn’t David Moyes’s men, who were being outplayed and outfought all over the pitch. Finally, with less than thirty minutes on the clock, Leeds were rewarded for their efforts. After some scrappy exchanges, the visitors won the physical battles in the middle of the park and the ball eventually dropped to Jayden Bogle, who fed Stach down the right. The German rolled the ball across the box and it was missed by Calvert-Lewin, under pressure from Tarkowski. The ball evaded both and found James Justin, who had the freedom of Merseyside to hammer home from the back post. It was a familiar feeling for the onlooking crowd, left wondering why their team couldn’t replicate their away performances back on the docks.
Barely given time to settle, Leeds threatened to make it two. Karl Darlow’s long kick flew over Gana Gueye’s head and onto Brendan Aaronson. The American forward laid the ball into the path of Bogle, whose cross found Calvert-Lewin inside the six-yard box. Fortunately for Everton, the finish was reminiscent of his time in Royal Blue, as he hammered his effort against the post and missed a gilt-edged opportunity to double his side’s lead. James Garner saw a rare Everton effort hit the side netting on the brink of half-time, but Leeds went into the break deservedly in front.
Moyes had seen enough and made two changes at the interval, altering Everton’s shape. The Scot decided to match up with Leeds, allowing his side to gain greater control. Dewsbury-Hall and Branthwaite were introduced and instantly impacted the game, both in and out of possession. The tide turned dramatically, with Everton shifting the ball from side to side, patiently waiting for an opening. On the hour mark, Gana Gueye picked up a loose ball as Leeds attacked and drove through the visitors’ half. With options left and right, he opted for his international team-mate Illiman Ndiaye, but the forward’s goalbound left-footed effort was blocked by a defender.
The wave of Blue attacks didn’t stop there. Moments later, Nathan Patterson and James Garner linked up on the right, with the Scot sending his team-mate free to roam towards the Leeds penalty area. Patterson fed Thierno Barry, and after some silky movement, the in-form forward curled an effort with the outside of his boot towards the goalkeeper’s right, only to be denied by the outstretched arm of Darlow.
The crowd were up, but losing hope as every minute ticked by with the scoreline unchanged. However, Moyes’s men continued to patiently probe the stern Leeds defence, and with 15 minutes left to play, Barry once again showed his goalscoring prowess. Everton shifted the ball from left to right, with Jake O’Brien finding Dewsbury-Hall drifting wide. The returning midfielder slipped a through ball into the right channel for Gana Gueye, and the AFCON winner delivered a first-time low cross into the box. Barry latched on and poked the ball home. Cue limbs, cue dodgy dance moves.
The stadium was truly set alight, and amidst the chaos, the man who claimed the assist very nearly flipped the tie on its head entirely with a stunning effort that was denied by the woodwork.
Both teams had moments during the closing stages, most notably Everton gifting Leeds two corners right at the death, but both ultimately walked away with a point. A resurgent second-half display will have inspired some hope, yet Everton once again failed to capitalise fully on an inviting opportunity to propel themselves towards the European places.
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