Everton scrape through after chaotic league cup tie

That was more like the kind of nervy stuff we’re used to seeing as Everton just managed to find a way to win beating Huddersfield Town 2-1 last night with ten men.

A scratch Everton side lined up with a large number of changes with several players including Jarrard Branthwaite returning in defence and Tom Davies and Jean-Phlippe Gbamin getting their first starts under Rafa Benitez in midfield.

Benitez also moved to a three centre-back defence and had two young full-backs in Jonjo Kenny and Niels Nkounkou come into the team. One of them Nkounkou did well while Kenny struggled again to make much impression.

It was in the end a typically tight and ultimately scrappy early rounds cup match characterised by some dreadful officiating that saw two goals being denied and Moise Kean sent off for very little reason.

The other thing that happened again last night was Micheal Keane made yet another defensive error losing his man at the corner leading to Huddersfield’s equaliser. I really hope Ben Godfrey is available for the weekend trip to Brighton.

The Toffees had actually began this game very well despite a makeshift side and they were well in control creating chances and looking very comfortable.

This good start eventually resulted in an opening goal well fashioned by Davies and finished confidently by Alex Iwobi who had another solid outing.

Then Moise Kean latched onto a ball after a great run and pass from Niels Nkounkou and fired the ball into the roof of the net with his left foot and it looked like two nil and effectively game over.

But the officals flag was up and the goal was ruled out even though it looked like the Italian striker was well onside. There was no VAR and so the decision stood.

Kean wasn’t happy and his game was affected from then on as indeed was Everton’s with the Blues then starting to lose the control and momentum they had enjoyed early on.

Huddersfield grew in confidence, got their equaliser on the stroke of halftime and were now matching the away team as several Toffees players particularly Gbamin tired.

The tie was in the balance in the second half and then it looked for a moment that the Yorkshire club had won it as they scored a second goal but just like Everton, it was disallowed.

And after a challenge with an opponent, Moise Kean was shown what seemed a harsh red card and walked off the pitch in disgust. Has he played his last game for the Blues? We will see.

More from Prince Rupert's Tower

Benitez though didn’t panic despite the chaos and made several positive changes that finally swung the tie back in Everton’s favour.

He brought on Andre Gomes, Lucas Digne and Demarai Gray and those changes lifted the away team significantly.

Gomes in fact proved to be the most important change as the Portuguese midfielder got forward well -as indeed Davies did too in a further sign perhaps of a new mentality under Benitez – and eventually found himself wide putting in a good ball across the face of goal that Andros Townsend smashed into the roof of the net for the winner.

While there were many issues highlighted by that match, especially again those defensive frailities, it was potentially tricky mid-week tie that was ultimately successfully negotiated.

The manager made positive changes during the match and they secured the win. I’m not sure past Blues sides would have come back from the set-backs last night of a disallowed goal and a player sent off to win.

The best performers were Nkounkou, Davies, Iwobi and while he was on the pitch Moise Kean too but it once more underlined the patchy level of the squad players Benitez has tp choose from.

So in the end job done and most importantly of all Everton are in the hat for the next round with the chance of a good run in the competition still possible.