Sky Sports pundit stunned by Everton defender Vitalii Mykolenko in first Sean Dyche home defeat to Aston Villa
Kris Boyd was stunned by Everton full-back Vitalii Mykolenko on Saturday as the Toffees fell to a first home defeat under Sean Dyche at the hands of Aston Villa.
Just over half an hour into the game the Ukrainian received the ball on the left wing and swung in an inviting cross that Amadou Onana headed goal-wards, only to be thwarted by Emi Martinez.
Boyd felt the quality of the cross was “unbelievable” in creating a chance that got Everton as close as at any point during the game, which eventually finished 2-0 to the visitors and put the Toffees back into the relegation zone.
While live on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday (25 February, 3.34pm) Boyd said: “It’s again down the left-hand side, Dwight McNeil lays it back for Mykolenko. He fires an unbelievable ball in.
“Onana rushing in gets above [Tyrone] Mings and [Ezri] Konsa and manages to get his head to the ball, but there’s Emi Martinez to tip it over the bar.”
Set back
There’s no doubt that a weekend that finishes with the club back in the bottom three is not a good one, but in a game where Everton competed and referee Anthony Taylor drew the ire of the home fans it shouldn’t overshadow what has been a positive start to Dyche’s time in charge.
Had the Toffees been beaten at home by Arsenal and won the meeting with Villa, which might have been more expected, things would be in exactly the same position.
The crucial victory over Leeds United last weekend made all the difference to the look of the table, and it was a win for Javi Gracia’s men against a fellow relegation-strugglers Southampton that has put the Toffees back into the drop zone.
Anything but a draw at Elland Road had the potential to be damaging to Dyche’s revival, and so it has proven on a day when the attacking deficiencies were brought to the fore.
Two 1-0 wins with goals from James Tarkowski and Seamus Coleman have provided a major lift, but neither of the two defenders are goal-machines and it will be the responsibility of the forward players to find the net if this relegation battle is to be won.
A soft penalty broke the deadlock after Idrissa Gana Gueye appeared to make contact with the ball in tackling John McGinn, on a day where fortune didn’t favour the home side.
Dyche was under no illusions afterwards about the size of the challenge, and despite the encouraging pair of wins there is still plenty of work to do.