Stephy Mavididi’s second-half equaliser earned Leicester City a Premier League draw against Everton in treacherous conditions at the King Power Stadium, leaving both sides still searching for their first victories of the season.
Saturday’s match started under blue skies that made way for a thunderstorm and heavy downpour as Everton collected their first point of the campaign to slightly brighten a faltering opening to the season.
“It was bizarre,” Toffees boss Sean Dyche said of the conditions. “In the warm-up – you know how hot it was – goalkeeper coach Billy Mercer told me to put factor 50 on, which I did. It is fair to say I didn’t need it. I have never experienced conditions as bad as that.”
Everton got the perfect start on 12 minutes courtesy of Iliman Ndiaye’s first Premier League goal, collecting Ashley Young’s fizzed pass and squeezing home a low effort in off the post.
Leicester fans thought their side had levelled when Mavididi’s cross was pushed on to the crossbar by Jordan Pickford before bouncing down, though referee Darren England made it clear the ball had not crossed the line.
Following a short delay to the second half because of the adverse weather, home goalkeeper Mads Hermansen made a fine reflex save to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin and it proved costly for the visitors.
After Jordan Ayew’s acrobatic effort and Harry Winks’ long-range curler both drifted over, Mavididi reacted quickest at a corner with a swivelled 73rd-minute finish to grab a valuable point for Steve Cooper’s team.
Lindstrom’s finishing issues hurt Toffees
For the fourth consecutive game, Everton will be left wondering what might have been as they let slip another lead – but this point allowed them to move off the foot of the table.
The Toffees had lost their previous two league games 3-2, having been 2-0 ahead, and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalties by Southampton on Tuesday after relinquishing a 1-0 advantage.
They failed to build on Ndiaye’s well-taken opener and similar to the game during the week, on-loan winger Jesper Lindstrom was guilty of missing numerous presentable openings.
The Dane volleyed wide at the far post inside the opening five minutes when he should really have buried the chance, while a thumping drive was kept out by Hermansen and another effort was blazed over from the angle.
Without a number of first-team players through a combination of injury and illness, Everton seemed to run out of puff towards the end and were holding on by the full-time whistle as their winless run on the road extended to 15 games.
“I thought that from us it was a positive display,” said Dyche. “There have been question marks around us not winning, but we have got our nose in front and I thought we delivered a good performance.
“I think it is a point gained because we needed one, or three obviously. There was positivity in the performance. We put hard yards in. There are loads of question marks over myself, the players – lots of noise and negativity shrouding the situation.
“It is difficult for players but there was real confidence and belief in our performance. That shows the mentality.”
Foxes battle back but Cooper’s winless run continues
The rain threatened to dampen Leicester’s day and, while their return to the top light has not been perfect, they have collected three draws from their opening five games to lie 15th in the table.
But they will need to start picking up victories quickly if they are to survive, particularly manager Cooper, whose winless run in the division – including his time at previous club Nottingham Forest – extended to 18 games.
The Foxes were relegated two seasons ago with a costly draw towards the end of the campaign against Everton and have now failed to keep a home clean sheet in their past 16 Premier League games.
With a measure of revenge in mind, they battled back courtesy of a scrambled strike from Mavididi, who span on a loose ball and fired into the roof of the net past the Everton backline.
Before that, Italian centre-back Caleb Okoli somehow sent a free header over the crossbar from five yards out and, despite a late push, they were unable to find a winner.
Cooper said: “We definitely were the stronger team in the second half but nowhere near the level in the first half. We wanted to take the game to Everton, attack the game and we did everything but that.
“We were deservedly losing the game and the players knew that. I told them as well. When that happens, you can go under and hide, and the game can go worse, or you can do what we did. We ran a bit more, fought and won duels and tackles.
“We finished a lot stronger but only managed to get the point. It is a game and result that should have been better but the way the game played out, it could have been worse.”
