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EVERTON DOMINANCE EVAPORATES; PICKFORD, MOYES REACT WITH DISBELIEF AND FURY

Everton's draw at Sunderland felt like two points dropped after Iliman Ndiaye's opener was cancelled out by a deflected Granit Xhaka strike. Jordan Pickford's emotional return was a key storyline in a match filled with drama.

Everton dominance evaporates; Pickford, Moyes react with disbelief and fury
Jordan Pickford, goalkeeper of Everton waves at fans after the Premier League match between Sunderland and Everton at Stadium of Light (Image: Getty Images)

With a draw that felt like both a win and a loss, Everton left the Stadium of Light.

They controlled Sunderland for thirty minutes, to the extent that discussions between reporters from the North East in the press box came to the conclusion that it was the first time this season that the recently promoted team appeared overpowered by an opponent.

However, the hosts were able to rally late in the game since the visitors were unable to capitalise on their superiority and failed to build on Iliman Ndiaye's opening goal. By the end, Everton was relieved to hear the final whistle. Here are a few of the match's moments that went beyond the news.

Jordan Pickford's distress over James Tarkowski's help


When Granit Xhaka's effort was deflected past Jordan Pickford to tie the score for Sunderland on Monday night, his expression told it all. The England number one was a picture of agony as he reprimanded the centre back for extending out his leg to block the shot and turned to face captain James Tarkowski.

When the effort was redirected away from his dive, the goalie seemed frustrated that Tarkowski had not left it for him to handle, even though it was supposed to be a simple stop. The goal was vital because it gave the home crowd more energy and helped the Mackems maintain the momentum they had at the end of the first half.

Everton failed to bounce back, but they managed to hold on for a point that seemed crucial considering the second half's struggle, which Moyes said was "awful." Moments after the equaliser, Pickford had to make a crucial stop as an Enzo Le Fée strike was deflected away from him, despite his worries about those blocking shots in front of him going unanswered.

England's top player receives praise from everyone.


During his first game back at Sunderland since leaving for Everton in 2017, Pickford was a main attraction. He has remained a devoted fan of his boyhood team and saw them finish a protracted and agonising period outside the top flight by winning promotion from the Championship last season.

The home audience applauded when his name was called before the game and cheered him off the field with the song, "He is one of our own," after the final whistle.

The away end frequently broke into the "dynamite" song that was composed for him at the conclusion of the previous season, demonstrating that the affection was reciprocated.


David Moyes is playing.


Although the two clubs' good connection was always evident during this game, tensions remained high for the entire ninety minutes. This also applied to the dugouts. Trai Hume made a crazy lunge at Jack Grealish in the second half, causing him to writhe in agony. The incident so shocked Moyes that he jumped onto the field in what seemed to be a mix of worry and rage.

Moyes later felt that his playmaker deserved a lot of protection after Hume was booked for the tackle. Pedro Porro of Tottenham Hotspur and Evann Guessand of Aston Villa have both made clumsy challenges against him in recent weeks.

Then his head was in his hands.


On the touchline, Moyes actively participated in the game's emotions. When Vitalii Mykolenko seemed to give up too early on a ball he believed was going out for a throw-in among a tangle of legs, his incredulity contrasted sharply with his rage at the challenge on Grealish.

Moyes just stood with his hands on his head for a few seconds as Sunderland took advantage of the opportunity and picked up the lost ball to make another attack down Everton's left.


Two clubs come together to emphasise the important things.


This event made it very evident that there are more significant things in life than football. Bradley Lowery, a Sunderland fan, won hearts all across the world throughout his fight against neuroblastoma before dying at the age of six. He developed an especially tight relationship with Everton, with former chairman Bill Kenwright providing him with substantial backing for his awareness-raising initiatives.

Gemma, Bradley's mother, went to Everton's home game against West Ham United since the team was supporting the Bradley Lowery Foundation, which was established in his honour. Reuben, a nine-year-old Sunderland fan who has been fighting leukaemia, led Everton out on Monday night after the team donated their mascot experience to the charity. The home end also unfurled a huge flag with Bradley on it at the beginning of the game, with the caption, "There is only one Bradley Lowery."

In a heartfelt remembrance of nine-year-old Sunderland supporter Anna Bradley, who lost her fight with a rare blood cancer last week, the stadium erupted in cheers in the ninth minute as well.

VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE

Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.

top-news
Antoine Semenyo’s clumsy challenge handed Chelsea a vital lifeline

Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.

This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.

What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.

VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."

VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.

At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.

Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.

The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.

Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.

A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.

Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth

Referee: Sam Barrott

VAR: Craig Pawson

What: VAR check for a foul in the box

When: 11th minute

BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW

Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.

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Emery snubs Arteta's handshake

Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.

This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.

Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.

Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.

Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.

After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.

It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.

“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.

“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”

About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.

“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.

“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.

“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.

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