Romelu Lukaku strikes late on as Everton draw first blood

Everton 2 Manchester City 1

The spectre of Pep Guardiola will loom over Manuel Pellegrini regardless of what he achieves with Manchester City this season but defeats so close to Wembley will not aid his cause either. Everton’s players had called on Goodison Park to dispense with its recent anxiety and intimidate City in the Capital One Cup semi-final. As it transpired they seized the initiative themselves to take a merited lead from a hard-fought first leg.

Jesús Navas equalised Ramiro Funes Mori’s goal to give City hope of a reprieve in the second leg but Romelu Lukaku’s swift reply provided Roberto Martínez with the reward he craved and merited from a close semi-final.

It appeared Everton had commenced preparations for their first League Cup semi-final since 2008 on Sunday against Tottenham Hotspur. Once again, Martínez’s team sat deep in an attempt to plug the gaps that have led to 20 goals being conceded at Goodison in the Premier League this season, more than any other side, and allowed the visitors to control possession in central midfield. Once again, the restored Muhamed Besic impressed in the middle and Everton grew as an attacking threat gradually, albeit much quicker than in the 1-1 draw with Spurs.

City began confidently and with purpose as they looked for a way to thread Sergio Agüero in behind his international team-mate, Funes Mori, and continue the prolific form that had brought the team 13 goals in their three previous Capital One Cup ties. The distance between Everton’s midfield and forward line also helped Pellegrini’s team in regaining the ball swiftly from the likes of Lukaku and Ross Barkley.

Once Besic began to stamp his authority on the midfield battle, however, flicking the ball over the head of David Silva and rousing Goodison with a fully committed, clean tackle on Yaya Touré for good measure, the pattern changed. Everton advanced in numbers rather than simply hope, Gerard Deulofeu came into the contest and Lukaku finally had the support to trouble City’s central defence of Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolás Otamendi, with the injured Vincent Kompany watching on from the director’s box.

The lineups reflected the importance of the competition to the respective clubs, with Martínez fielding arguably his strongest available side while Pellegrini gave rare outings to Fabian Delph and Gaël Clichy. Both managers persisted with their cup keepers, Joel Robles sparing Tim Howard another run-in with his critics on the Gwladys Street and Willy Caballero replacing Joe Hart for City, but neither had a save to make until Everton opened the scoring in first half stoppage time. The goal had been coming.

Everton served notice of their improvement when Deulofeu slipped Lukaku into space inside the visitors’ area only for the striker’s first touch to enable Otamendi to intervene. The home side then had two goals disallowed for offside in the space of five minutes, rightly so on each occasion. Gareth Barry and Funes Mori were both offside when Leighton Baines floated a free-kick to the far post where the former City midfielder headed back for John Stones to convert from close range. Lukaku also beat Caballero but was two yards behind the visiting back-line when he received a pass from Deulofeu.

It was a case of third time lucky for Everton when Tom Cleverley delivered an inswinging corner from the right on the stroke of half-time. Barry was again first to the cross, glancing on to Barkley who, despite injuring his foot early in the game, unleashed a powerful drive that Caballero parried into the path of Funes Mori. Lukaku was offside when Barkley struck but the Argentina defender was not and gleefully swept home his first goal at Goodison.

City had barely troubled the Everton goal before the interval. Otamendi headed wide from a Kevin De Bruyne corner while a combination of Stones, Robles and Funes Mori prevented Agüero capitalising on slips from Barkley and Baines. Otherwise, their bright start faded and prompted Pellegrini to make two substitutions before the hour mark, Martín Demichelis replacing Mangala and Navas injecting his pace. Change had the intended effect.

Agüero sliced wide from close range, Fernandinho headed straight at Robles and De Bruyne forced a smart save from the Spanish keeper as Everton were pressed back. The referee also dismissed a penalty appeal from City when Silva went to ground under a challenge from the substitute Kevin Mirallas. The counterattack suited Everton, however, with Barkley breaking several times only to lack the killer final touch, but they were undone by one from their own corner as City levelled. Touré’s clearance found Agüero who threaded a pass behind an exposed home defence for Navas to beat Robles with a cool finish.

But the City celebrations were still in full swing when Everton retook the lead through Lukaku. Baines, Barkley and Barry combined on the left, the veteran midfielder swept a delightful cross over the head of Demichelis and the Belgium international was perfectly placed to head home his 19th goal of the campaign, injuring himself in the process.

(Guardian service)