Everton 1-2 Lyon: Pressure mounts on Ronald Koeman after Europa League defeat

By Richard Morgan

Image: Everton's poor run of form continued with a 2-1 defeat at home to Lyon

Everton's struggles continued as they lost 2-1 to Lyon at Goodison Park in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The home side fell behind early on when Nabil Fekir slotted home a penalty following a rash challenge by Mason Holgate.

However, Ronald Koeman's side drew level after 69 minutes when Ashley Williams powered home a header, only for Bertrand Traore's deft backheel to hand Lyon the win six minutes later.

As a result, Everton have now taken just one point from their opening three Group E games and sit bottom of the table.

Player ratings

Everton: Pickford (8), Keane (6), Williams (6), Martina (5), Holgate (5), Schneiderlin (6), Mirallas (6), Klaassen (4), Davies (5), Vlasic (5), Calvert-Lewin (6)

Subs: Sigurdsson (8), Ramirez (5), Lookman (6)

Lyon: Lopes (8), Diakhaby (7), Marcelo (7), Marcal (6), Tete (6), Aouar (6), Traore (9), Depay (8), Fekir (8), Tousart (6), Maolida (7)

Subs: Ferri (7), NDombele (6), Cornet (8)

Man of the match: Bertrand Traore

The hosts made the worst possible start to the game when just six minutes in, Holgate recklessly chopped down the marauding Fernando Marcal, with referee Bas Nijhuis having no choice but to point to the spot.

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Lyon captain Fekir stepped up and beat Jordan Pickford with a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net, the France international's eighth goal of the season.

The Ligue 1 team could have doubled their lead eight minutes before the break when Memphis Depay's 25-yard free-kick took a wicked deflection off Tom Davies, only to beat the wrong-footed Pickford, but not the bar.

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Image: Ashley Williams equalised for Everton

However, it took a melee involving Williams and a posse of players from both sides - and disappointingly some members of the home crowd too - to spark the hosts into life midway through the second period.

Gylfi Sigurdsson, who had just been brought on, chipped a free kick into the danger area and there was the Everton captain to beat Anthony Lopes with a bullet header.

Everton almost took the lead minutes later when another Sigurdsson free-kick beat everyone in the middle, only to strike the far post, before the visitors then went up the other end and won the game.

Substitute Maxwell Cornet's brilliant run took him clear to the right-hand byline and his cross was then turned in at the near post by Traore, albeit with the help of a large deflection off Michael Keane.

Team news

Everton rested Wayne Rooney, while Gylfi Sigurdsson dropped to the bench, but they were without the injured James McCarthy, Seamus Coleman, Yannick Bolasie, Funes Mori and Ross Barkley.
Lyon, meanwhile, were missing Mariano Diaz, Ferland Mendy, Jeremy Morel, Pape Cheikh Diop and Clement Grenier.

Opta stats

  • Everton have picked up just one point after three Europa League group stage games - the worst start of any English club at this stage.
  • Only three sides have progressed past the Europa League group stages after collecting one point in the first three games (Hertha Berlin 2009-10, Dnipro 2014-15 and AZ 2016-17), with Dnipro going all the way to the final in 2014-15.
  • Since keeping four successive clean sheets at the start of the season (three Europa League qualifiers and one PL game), Everton have kept just one shutout in their last 12 games - a League Cup third round win against Sunderland (3-0).
  • For the first time under Ronald Koeman, the Toffees have failed to win in three successive games at Goodison Park in all competitions (D1 L2). The last time they went on such a run was in January 2016 under Roberto Martinez (four games).
  • There were just 223 seconds between Ashley Williams' yellow card and his goal.
  • Jordan Pickford has saved just one of the 13 penalties he has faced in his club career (excl. shootouts) - saving a penalty against Hajduk Split in Europa League qualifying.

Live Nissan Super Sunday

Man of the Match - Bertrand Traore

The Burkina Faso international was a real handful for the Everton back-line all night long, and the player got his just deserts after scoring the winner 15 minutes from time.

And on this display, you can see why Chelsea bought the 22-year-old from Auxerre in the summer of 2010.

What's next?

Everton entertain Arsenal at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Sunday lunchtime, a match you can see live on Sky Sports Premier League.

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