Everton got off to a horrible start this season, but they're back into the top half and within sight of the top four after their second successive win. They were tested by Burnley at times on Sunday, but their superior quality eventually won out in a 3-1 victory.
Burnley vs. Everton: Final score 1-3, Toffees moving up
The Toffees are close to where they’d like to be after a rocky start to the season.
The Toffees were on the board early through Samuel Eto'o, who started alongside Romelu Lukaku, not instead of the young Belgian. Leighton Baines set up the third-minute goal with a brilliant cross, and Eto'o got on the end of it with a well-timed run that allowed him to apply a powerful header.
But Burnley were level after 20 minutes, thanks to an excellent bit of combination play between their forwards on the break. Lukas Jutkiewicz found Danny Ings with a through ball, and Ings sprinted around Tim Howard before slotting a side-footed finish into the goal.
That move was started by a turnover from Lukaku, who redeemed himself for his error just nine minutes later. At the end of a long spell of possession for Everton, he chested the ball down and passed to Eto’o, who found Naismith, and he turned around and found Lukaku in the box. Mike Duff blocked Lukaku’s initial effort, but the Toffees’ forward dinked a follow-up effort over everyone and into the back of the net.
Everton cared more about keeping possession and limiting Burnley's chances for the rest of the match than they did about killing off the game themselves. There wasn't much action until late, when Burnley had to get more desperate, opening up some space.
Eto'o completed a brace in the 86th minute, and in brilliant fashion. Steven Pienaar fed him with his back to goal 25 yards out, and he turned, then curled a stunner over Tom Heaton to clinch the win for Everton.
Ings had a good chance a minute later, but his finish was a summary of Burnley’s day after Lukaku’s goal. Instead of testing Howard, he blazed over from 12 yards.
Eto’o nearly completed his hat trick in stoppage time, and was unlucky not to score off a bad turnover by the Burnley defense. He shot at an empty net from an extremely narrow angle, but hit the inside of the post. It might have been a personal disappointment, but Eto’o didn’t look too bothered, with his team clinching a win at the end of a good performance.
Burnley: Heaton, Ward, Shackell, Duff, Trippier, Arfield, Jones, Boyd (Chalobah 86’), Kightly (Sordell 84’), Jutkiewicz, Ings
Goals: Ings (20’)
Everton: Howard, Baines, Jagielka, Alcaraz, Coleman, Barry, McCarthy, Naismith, Osman (Pienaar 82’), Lukaku (Barkley 65’), Eto’o
Goals: Eto’o (3’, 86’), Lukaku (29’)
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