Match ends, Everton 1, Leicester City 2.
Everton 1-2 Leicester City
By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at Goodison Park
- From the section Football
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Leicester City substitute Ahmed Musa scored twice to transform this FA Cup third-round tie at Everton and inspire The Foxes to victory at Goodison Park.
Everton led when Romelu Lukaku turned in substitute Gerard Deulofeu's cross from close-range in the 63rd minute - but optimism that they would beat a top-flight team at this stage of the competition for the first time in 29 years was swiftly extinguished.
Musa, a first-half replacement for injured Leonardo Ulloa, scrambled home an equaliser within three minutes then linked brilliantly with Danny Drinkwater to beat Everton keeper Joel Robles with a crisp finish after 71 minutes.
Everton were unable to respond and the final whistle from referee Martin Atkinson was met with jeers as manager Ronald Koeman's hopes of challenging for a trophy in his first season in charge disappeared.
Setback for Koeman
Koeman's appointment and the manner in which he was lured from Southampton after guiding them to sixth place last season was a signal of Everton's renewed ambition under new majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri.
And that was underlined again this week with further discussion of a new stadium on the banks of the Mersey at Bramley Moore Dock and a lucrative naming rights deal for their Finch Farm training base with USM Holdings, the company founded by billionaire Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov.
But it was a brutal reality check when their hopes of a first trophy since 1995's FA Cup win over Manchester United were extinguished by Leicester City.
Koeman's summer work in the transfer market was not as widespread as hoped and even that had been undermined by the long-term injury to £25m signing Yannick Bolasie.
Everton remain a team in need of major surgery. They are too reliant on Lukaku for threat and goals, short on legs and energy in midfield, exposed by pace at the back and without a top-class goalkeeper. They are team that too often lack urgency and inspiration.
This season has not been the shiny, bright new start Everton had hoped for under their high-profile Dutch manager and reality dictates that their main goal between now and the end of the season is to simply maintain their current seventh place in the Premier League.
Golden new era at Goodison Park under Ronald Koeman? Not yet.
Leicester show their old qualities
It would have been easy for Leicester to go under once Lukaku gave Everton the lead - but there is still plenty of fight and resilience left in the team that won the league in such magnificent fashion last season.
The Foxes, even without Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, responded instantly with that scrappy Musa goal, but there was nothing ugly about a winner that was beautifully constructed between the substitute and Danny Drinkwater.
And manager Claudio Ranieri's decision to field a strong side, giving a debut to impressive £15m new boy from Genk, Wilfred Ndidi, was an indicator that he is taking the FA Cup seriously.
This was a performance that showed signs of the Leicester City of last season and their supporters celebrated in style in a corner of Goodison Park at the final whistle.
What now for Koeman?
It was certainly not meant to be like this, not with a measure of optimism brought about by some decent recent results, including a Boxing Day win at their FA Cup conquerors.
And Koeman will be aware of the burning ambition of the man who was the driving force behind his appointment. Moshiri told shareholders this week: "It is not enough to say 'we are special'. We don't want to be a museum. We need to be competitive and we need to win."
The Dutch manager's main task now - apart from assuring a top-seven finish - is to work with director of football Steve Walsh, who was taken from Leicester, to inject this Everton squad with some real class.
Manchester United's Morgan Schneiderlin is a likely arrival but he will rely heavily on Walsh's scouting prowess to unearth the sort of gems he brought to Leicester City, such as Vardy, Mahrez and N'Golo Kante.
If last summer was big for Koeman and Everton, next summer will be even bigger, even accounting for any business he can do in January.
Man of the match - Ahmed Musa (Leicester)
What next?
It does not get any easier for Everton as they host Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday, 15 January (kick-off 13:30 GMT). Leicester host leaders Chelsea on Saturday, 14 January (kick-off 17:30).
Key stats - Leicester turning it around
- Romelu Lukaku has scored seven goals in his seven FA Cup appearances for Everton.
- There were only seven minutes and 48 seconds between Everton taking the lead and Leicester going 2-1 up at Goodison Park.
Line-ups
Everton
- 1Robles
- 25Funes MoriBooked at 81mins
- 5Williams
- 30HolgateSubstituted forDeulofeuat 45'minutes
- 23Coleman
- 26Davies
- 18Barry
- 8BarkleySubstituted forKonéat 75'minutes
- 3Baines
- 10Lukaku
- 19E ValenciaSubstituted forMirallasat 62'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Jagielka
- 7Deulofeu
- 9Koné
- 11Mirallas
- 15Cleverley
- 20Oviedo
- 41Hewelt
Leicester
- 1Schmeichel
- 17Simpson
- 6Huth
- 5Morgan
- 3Chilwell
- 24Mendy
- 25Ndidi
- 4Drinkwater
- 22GraySubstituted forFuchsat 77'minutes
- 23UlloaSubstituted forMusaat 35'minutes
- 11AlbrightonSubstituted forKapustkaat 84'minutesBooked at 90mins
Substitutes
- 2Hernández
- 7Musa
- 8James
- 14Kapustka
- 20Okazaki
- 21Zieler
- 28Fuchs
- Referee:
- Martin Atkinson
- Attendance:
- 35,493
Match Stats
Home TeamEvertonAway TeamLeicester
- Possession
- Home58%
- Away42%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away5
- Corners
- Home11
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away5
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Everton 1, Leicester City 2.
Foul by Kevin Mirallas (Everton).
Bartosz Kapustka (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt saved. Bartosz Kapustka (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Attempt saved. Gareth Barry (Everton) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Booking
Bartosz Kapustka (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Tom Davies (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Bartosz Kapustka (Leicester City).
Corner, Everton. Conceded by Christian Fuchs.
Attempt blocked. Ashley Williams (Everton) header from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner, Everton. Conceded by Ben Chilwell.
Foul by Gerard Deulofeu (Everton).
Ahmed Musa (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Romelu Lukaku (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Robert Huth (Leicester City).
Foul by Tom Davies (Everton).
Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Bartosz Kapustka replaces Marc Albrighton.
Foul by Ashley Williams (Everton).
Danny Simpson (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Kevin Mirallas (Everton) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Corner, Everton. Conceded by Kasper Schmeichel.
Booking
Ramiro Funes Mori (Everton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ramiro Funes Mori (Everton).
Ahmed Musa (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Gareth Barry (Everton).
Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Christian Fuchs replaces Demarai Gray.
Foul by Kevin Mirallas (Everton).
Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Everton. Arouna Koné replaces Ross Barkley.
Corner, Everton. Conceded by Ben Chilwell.
Goal!
Goal! Everton 1, Leicester City 2. Ahmed Musa (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Daniel Drinkwater.
Leighton Baines (Everton) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City).
Attempt blocked. Demarai Gray (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Kevin Mirallas (Everton) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Goal!
Goal! Everton 1, Leicester City 1. Ahmed Musa (Leicester City) with an attempt from very close range to the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Ahmed Musa (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
