‘It is part of the game’
Vincent Kompany is the latest manager to be unable to stop an Everton[1] threat he knew was coming. The Burnley boss hailed Sean Dyche’s team as one of the best in the Premier League[2] at attacking set-pieces after his side went down to a 2-0 defeat. Yet while he was aware of the Blues’ menace, Kompany was unable to set up the Clarets to deal with their opponents when they pumped balls into the box.
That struggle was one of the most significant factors in Everton win at Turf Moor with both goals coming from set-plays.
Everton had the game won after 25 minutes after goals from Amadou Onana[5] and Michael Keane[6] gave them a lead they would not yield. The Blues have now kept four consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League, winning each of those games.
Onana opened the scoring with a towering back-post header from a Dwight McNeil[7] corner before Keane swept in the deflected rebound after his initial half-volley was pushed out by James Trafford. That first chance came after James Tarkowski[8] won a header from a Jordan Pickford[9] free-kick. Everton’s improved threat from set-pieces has been an important part of their progress under Dyche[10].
It is one Kompany was aware of before the game. And asked how frustrated he was at his side being unable to deal with them, he said: “It is a team effort, especially nowadays. “Teams have all got strategies and little things they do to create an advantage on set-plays, depending on the quality of the delivery and the players’ ability to attack it.
We know Everton are one of the best teams in the league at doing that – credit to them.
It is part of the game – you don’t get to hide away from it, you don’t get to be good at some things and not at others but [if you like your] game is undone by something that you are not giving yourself a chance with, that is never a good feeling.”
References
- ^ Everton (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Premier League (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Everything has changed at Everton bar one thing – and Burnley win proves it (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Everton player ratings as Michael Keane and three others superb in Burnley win (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Amadou Onana (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Michael Keane (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Dwight McNeil (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ James Tarkowski (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Jordan Pickford (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
- ^ Dyche (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)