Norwich rescued by Wes Hoolahan after Romelu Lukaku extends Everton streak
Norwich 1 - 1 EvertonHome team scorers
Wes Hoolahan 47
Away team scorers
Romelu Lukaku 15
Norwich’s Wes Hoolahan levels the scores early in the second half against Everton at Carrow Road.
Roberto Martínez praised the threat of Romelu Lukaku despite ruing the striker’s failure to secure three points at Norwich. Lukaku became the first Everton player in 40 years to score for a seventh successive game, but spurned further chances in a first half the visitors dominated.
“That’s where you judge a striker. It’s the amount of threat that he carries,” Martínez said. “The clear-cut chances he produced is a very positive sign. On another day he would have scored four goals, or a hat-trick. It’s been another top performance from him. It’s just making sure he keeps creating chances, because it’s very rare that he’s not going to convert more than the one he did today.”
Lukaku has scored in six consecutive Premier League games, closing in on Jamie Vardy’s record of goals in 11 successive games. Leicester are Everton’s next opposition next Saturday.
Martínez would swap Lukaku’s shot at history for a clean sheet, after one shut-out in the last 10 in the Premier League, with Everton’s defending again culpable in Wes Hoolahan’s leveller two minutes into the second half.
“I would swap any record just to try to keep a clean sheet,” Martínez said. “As a team we know we’ve got incredible individuals, probably some of the best young players in European football. What we need to do is become a team that can control games and make sure we finish with a win, rather than just performing well and dropping points.
“Overall the performance leaves you with a feeling of disappointment, as that should have been a three-point performance.”
John Stones damaged an ankle in the warm-up and appeared to twist his knee during the first half but there is no cause for concern. Martínez said: “He didn’t want to come off. He was magnificent.”
The visitors dominated to such an extent they could have been coasting at half-time. The fit-again Leighton Baines hit a post and Arouna Koné was twice denied by Declan Rudd.
Alex Neil felt his side had “polar opposite” performances either side of half-time, when he expressed his displeasure to his players. The Norwich manager said: “Everton could have been leading 2-0 or 3-0 at half-time. We were fortunate it was only 1-0.
“I thought the intensity of our game was poor and once they scored their goal, you could sense a bit of unrest among the fans and that bled into the players. They looked a bit timid and a bit scared to go and express themselves.
“That wasn’t a good enough first half. I wasn’t best pleased. We had a good discussion in terms of what’s acceptable and all the questions I posed to them at half-time they came out and answered.
“The only way thing that changed was the way the players attacked the game. Tactically nothing changed.”
The change that meant Andre Wisdom went off at half-time was prompted by a hamstring injury, but his replacement, Ryan Bennett, made his mark when his header from Robbie Brady’s corner led to Hoolahan’s equaliser.
It was not pretty but they cared not a jot as it was their fourth goal in seven Premier League games.
Norwich’s need for a goal was highlighted by their supporters serenading the Everton substitute Steven Naismith as he warmed up. A bid from Norwich was rejected for the Scot in the summer.
Cameron Jerome might have won it for the home side but fired over from Hoolahan’s flick. “We definitely had opportunities where we could have gone on to win it,” Neil said.
Guardian