No team has claimed more points from losing positions this season than Everton (12). Here, having clawed their way back at the end of the first half via an own goal by Hull goalkeeper David Marshall – cancelling Michael Dawson’s opener – Robert Snodgrass moved Hull ahead with a perfect free kick, but Ross Barkley’s header in the 85th minute snatched a point for the Blues at the KCOM Stadium.
It was a game of fluctuating momentum throughout, with Everton striking the woodwork twice and Hull once before Snodgrass had seemingly delivered a deadly strike. Then, with time running out, Leighton Baines fired in a fantastic cross from the left for Barkley to head the ball past Marshall and secure another precious point.
Maintaining the freshness in his squad was the reason Ronald Koeman made three changes following the Boxing Day success at champions Leicester City. Ramiro Funes Mori, Mason Holgate and Aaron Lennon made way for Phil Jagielka, Ross Barkley and Enner Valencia. “It’s impossible to start with the same 11 because it’s a tough period, but also tactical-wise we need to do it different,” the manager explained.
“In my opinion we need to change. It's about the freshness of the players and we know it's impossible to play with the same 11 players in three games in eight days. That’s impossible. And also to change the formation, we can change. We have players to play out of different systems and they are used to it and that also is a strength of a team.”
With only one win in their last 16 Premier League games - a 2-1 victory at home to Southampton on November 6 – Hull were determined to end 2016 on an upbeat note, setting off at a high tempo and seizing the initiative. Snodgrass had an early shot from the right edge of the penalty area on his left foot with dip, but it cleared the crossbar. Ahmed Elmohamady quickly followed up, driving to the byline on the right side and crossing into the box where Phil Jagielka cleared behind for a corner.
From the resultant corner kick, Hull claimed the early advantage. Snodgrass’s delivery was good, the ball whipped in at pace and the flick-on to the back post fell perfectly for Hull captain Dawson at the back post and he had a tap-in, Joel Robles with no chance to stop it. The Blues had switched off and paid the price.
Everton hit back quickly. Kevin Mirallas was allowed to come inside and his deflected shot spilled out of the hands of Hull goalkeeper Marshall at the expense of a corner.
Idrissa Gana Gueye almost stole in behind from a moment’s hesitation by Hull defender Harry Maguire and then a good cross by Gareth Barry was met by Seamus Coleman in the middle with a header that despairingly came back off Marshall’s left upright. Once more the reaction was good from the Blues, but the frustration was that they had needed an early reversal before asserting themselves to a degree that put Hull on the back foot.
Barkley might have been the player to profit but, with Romelu Lukaku and Barry combining to tee him up on the edge of the penalty area, he dragged his shot across the face of goal and wide. It was end-to-end stuff, with Snodgrass having whipped in another cross to the back post for Dieumerci Mbokani only moments earlier but the ball had been cleared.
Hull were poised like a coiled spring trying to catch the Toffees on the counterattack, but it was Barry who sprung on a loose clearance and shot narrowly wide from 10 yards outside the penalty area.
Maguire made an incisive run through the middle and laid the ball off for Snodgrass whose cross from the left in behind the Everton defence was met at a stretch by Adama Diomande in the six-yard box but, with Jagielka closing him down, he could not hit the target. At the other end Lukaku’s half-blocked shot fell to Valencia who was also closed down and Mirallas’s shot from a narrow angle was straight at Marshall. Both sides were enjoying a similar amount of the ball in attacking positions, but Hull retained the advantage.
Valencia carved out space on the right side of the penalty area and his scuffed shot slid all the way across the face of goal, requiring only a touch to convert it but it proved elusive. Mirallas came inside again to play a one-two with Valencia and fired wide with his left foot. Baines broke forward, played the ball perfectly for Lukaku and his shot was blocked by Curtis Davies. Then the corner kick came in by Mirallas and, under pressure from Mbokani and attempting to punch the ball clear, Marshall turned the ball into his own net. It was the last action of note of the first half and Everton were back in the game.
The visitors wasted no time in attempting to compound Hull’s woe, with Mirallas combining swiftly with Lukaku after the break and the Belgian striker’s shot was semi-deflected on the edge of the penalty area and required a sterling save by Marshall to palm it onto the bar.
Mirallas followed up soon after with a shot driven straight at Marshall but he was under pressure again when Barkley broke through on the right and fired a shot which the Hull goalkeeper did well to save and gather at the second attempt.
In keeping with the end-to-end nature of the first half, Hull struck the woodwork at the other end, Snodgrass clipping an excellent left-footed free kick onto the angle of crossbar and post. From a Hull corner kick, Mirallas cleared and the ball was lobbed back in by Elmohamady for Dawson who had time to bring the ball down and, on the half volley, drove his shot at goal, Robles saving bravely.
But there was no stopping Snodgrass when Baines conceded a free kick about eight yards outside the ‘D’ of the penalty area, barging Maguire to the ground, and the Scotland international’s strike was executed perfectly, placed under the crossbar and just inside the post, Robles’ efforts to keep the ball out proving fruitless.
Everton were behind again and the fluctuations of the game had yielded another arresting twist. Tom Davies came on for Barry and Barkley’s good work almost culminated in success for Lukaku but Dawson made a telling intervention.
Barkley had a deflected shot parried by Marshall. The teenager, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, replaced Valencia and Coleman broke free on the right, his cross cut out for a corner. Davies drove in a cross and 2,464 Evertonians behind the goal cried out for a penalty, their appeals dismissed by referee Jon Moss.
Then Baines and Barkley combined to level the game, Barkley scoring his fourth goal of the season with a header past Marshall in a dramatic finale.
Everton could have won it late on – Coleman’s cross was perfect, Calvert-Lewin’s header was firm but wide of the target. A point apiece then, with thoughts now turning to Southampton at Goodison Park.
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