This is going to be a short match report, for obvious reasons.
Rumours of Jagielka’s injury against Reading re-occurring were proved correct when the team news came in and the Stand-in Captain was missing. Leon Osman passed a late fitness test and started for the Blues. The England International started the game behind Anichebe, with Fellaini partnering Gibson in midfield. Heitinga replaced Jagielka.
Jagielka missed out.
Everton were surely expecting a new energetic Sunderland side, buoyed by their recent win over rivals Newcastle. The Mackems did start off well but not as intense as you’d have expected. There were corners for Everton and set pieces for Sunderland. Neither team made the most of them though. Larsson went close with 3 different freekicks, one being saved fantastically well by Howard. The Blues never got into the swing of things but did manage to quieten down the Sunderland support.
The Blues shot themselves in the foot just before half-time though and allowed Sunderland to get an advantage going into the second half. Howard rolled the ball out to Baines, who un-characteristically gave the most simplest of balls away, straight to Sessegnon, who drove towards goal, hit an average shot at goal which Howard let slip under his hands to go in.
Sessegnon celebrating giving his side the lead.
David Moyes surely gave his team a kick up the backside at half time although it didn’t show in the second period. Nikica Jelavic came on to replace an injured Darron Gibson and the Blues took up a 4-4-2 formation. While having the majority of possession in the second half, the away side in Blue didn’t create anything of note.
There were only two moments in the second half worth any note. One was a penalty appeal for Everton, with Jelavic tussling with Danny Rose and being half pulled down to the ground. Possibly a penalty, not what Everton deserved though.
Another incident was a strange one. Midfielder Seb Larsson was forced into playing a long back pass, but over-hit it a large amount. The ball was flying over goalkeeper Mignolet and heading toward the goal, the the Belgian caught it just in time. This was deemed as a backpass though and Everton got an in-direct freekick inside the penalty area. We’re unsure of the rules, but the Sunderland goalkeeper denied Everton a clear goal, it’s directly like a deliberate handball to stop a goalscoring opportunity, but a yellow card was given.
Baines drilled the in-direct freekick to no avail.
Sunderland probably didn’t do enough to win the game, they were nearly as bad as Everton. They wanted it more though.
Have a look at the Everton Player Ratings Here.
from the laws of the Game(Law 12):
POINT 4 is why Mignolet did not get sent off
A player, substitute or substituted player is sent off if he commits any of the following seven offences:
• serious foul play
• violent conduct
• spitting at an opponent or any other person
• denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within
his own penalty area)
• denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a
penalty kick
• using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
• receiving a second caution in the same match
Obviously, that clause in Law 12 is intended to cover the goalkeeper handling balls that he is entitled to handle within the penalty area.
It would seem that handling a ball that the goalkeeeper is not entitled to handle (the backpass inside his peanlty area OR an attacker shot outside the area) should have the same penalty, however, I cannot find a specific example of either situation in the supporting interpretations.