The FA Cup - Third Round
EvertonEverton1LeicesterLeicester City2

Everton 1-2 Leicester City

By Phil McNultyChief football writer at Goodison Park

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments36

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.

Watch the FA Cup goals

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)

Ahmed Musa
Two goals after coming on, Musa made the biggest impact in this game

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

Formation 3-5-2

  • 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

Formation 4-3-3

  • 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

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Everton 1, Leicester City 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Everton 1, Leicester City 2.

  3. Post update

    Foul by Kevin Mirallas (Everton).

  4. Post update

    Bartosz Kapustka (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  5. Post update

    Attempt saved. Bartosz Kapustka (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.

  6. Post update

    Attempt saved. Gareth Barry (Everton) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal.

  7. Booking

    Bartosz Kapustka (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  8. Post update

    Tom Davies (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Bartosz Kapustka (Leicester City).

  10. Post update

    Corner, Everton. Conceded by Christian Fuchs.

  11. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Ashley Williams (Everton) header from the centre of the box is blocked.

  12. Post update

    Corner, Everton. Conceded by Ben Chilwell.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Gerard Deulofeu (Everton).

  14. Post update

    Ahmed Musa (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  15. Post update

    Romelu Lukaku (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Robert Huth (Leicester City).

  17. Post update

    Foul by Tom Davies (Everton).

  18. Post update

    Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  19. Substitution

    Substitution, Leicester City. Bartosz Kapustka replaces Marc Albrighton.

  20. Post update

    Foul by Ashley Williams (Everton).

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36 comments

  • Comment posted by DavidHankey, at 17:52 7 Jan 2017

    "We're on our way, we're on our way", well done Leicester City!!

  • Comment posted by U16599391, at 19:14 7 Jan 2017

    Delighted.
    That away win was unexpected. Well done to the players and manager.
    Villa to make it a perfect FA cup weekend tomorrow.

  • Comment posted by La Carihuela, at 18:24 7 Jan 2017

    As an Evertonian for over 50 yrs, I will repeat my post the other day. Barkley is bone idle, has no legs Barry has no legs and I'm better the Funis Mori.Big clear out required, snap someone's arm off for 25mill for Barkely, he NEVER tackles or puts a shift in. Season over again, in January, very very poor.

  • Comment posted by DJ, at 18:53 7 Jan 2017

    Always looked like a big ask for Leicester to follow up last year's heroics in the league but it's good to see them keep momentum going in the cups. They were an inspiration last season and it would have been sad to see them falling flat in all competitions this time around. My team Swansea isn't inspiring anyone and we lost today anyway (big shock), so I'm rooting for Leicester to win the FA Cup.

  • Comment posted by Head Honcho, at 18:15 7 Jan 2017

    League last season...cup double this season?

    Come on City

  • Comment posted by Swansea-Fox, at 19:36 7 Jan 2017

    Didn't think we'd win today after Everton gave us a lesson at Leicester.

    But, very well done.

  • Comment posted by Sharpes Fox, at 18:18 7 Jan 2017

    "Feed the Moose and he will score." Step aside Yakubu!

  • Comment posted by Ray, at 18:13 7 Jan 2017

    Unless there is a dramatic improvement and something drastic happens Everton will probably not qualify for European competition at the end of this season
    The teams above Everton including a resurgent (improving) Manchester United are playing better than Everton who are too far behind
    All Everton can do is play out their league games and finish where they are
    Season All Over in January

  • Comment posted by DavidHankey, at 07:51 8 Jan 2017

    Congratulations to Leicester City who showed their fighting spirit despite being without so many regulars. Onward and upwards!!

  • Comment posted by El Tel, at 22:57 7 Jan 2017

    wow, how disappointing is that. Don't expect to win any cup but you can at least give us hope by getting through the early rounds. Starting to think this is not Koeman's fault, it is the players. Need a cull of a number of over rated, over paid players. Get the youngsters in. Players are a disgrace. Don't keep blaming the manager.
    Fair play to Leicester. Hope they go on and win it

  • Comment posted by ruweller, at 21:09 7 Jan 2017

    Yes Ndidi, another little diamond in the rough.

  • Comment posted by Ahnaf, at 05:42 8 Jan 2017

    Ndidi was impressive yesterday, looked at home in his first match in England. Seem like a fine player.

  • Comment posted by AndyW, at 02:59 8 Jan 2017

    After selling Kante, Leicester have badly missed his defensive midfield qualities, massive work rate. Signing Ndidi could be the replacement they badly need to make the difference

  • Comment posted by outonthefloor, at 21:49 7 Jan 2017

    Well done Leicester

  • Comment posted by JD, at 21:22 7 Jan 2017

    Rubbish today. No heart, no bottle. I was 56 yesterday, and from 4 years old, all I wanted was to play for EFC. Motorbike crash ended that for me, but at least I still have heart and bottle. Send Mr Titanic west out of the dock, I'm sure he won't have to wait long for his iceberg.

  • Comment posted by U16496276, at 19:01 7 Jan 2017

    A Phil McNulty article which doesn't mention Wayne Rooney. Am I seeing things?

  • Comment posted by wedontcarrybottles, at 18:48 7 Jan 2017

    BBC

    Why did 8 break house rules ?

    It was responding to a comment about not panicking after the poster said we need new players but no need to panic

    All I said was...

    "Don't Panic Mr Mainwaring"

    I hope you are as quick to delete when words such as 'Victim' start appearing, aimed at my club ???

  • Comment posted by teri, at 00:05 8 Jan 2017

    Gareth Barry shud go back to Villa. + GoodLuck to Leicester City. I hope they meet United in d final. Yeah baby

  • Comment posted by KentishEvertonian, at 21:36 7 Jan 2017

    Pretty much as per last season after 20 games .... 3 points more but the gap to 6th is 9 points as opposed to 5 .... plus we've lost lost two cup ties at home .... maybe Ronald's not good at cup ties, or is it that they're not playing for him?

  • Comment posted by Gary, at 19:22 7 Jan 2017

    That was a lacklustre performance. Once we scored we switched off. Dave Cornell, I struggle with your hatred of Barkley. Man of match last week, the only player with energy today; as ever he linked everything up but there was no threat up front. Delofeu STILL refuses to put a foot in, apart from his cross he shied out of everything. Showboater, nothing more. Barkley replaced by KONE.. really?!!

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