Everton are now looking at their first relegation in the Premier League season. They were aiming for victory when Richarlison’s two penalties canceled out Nathan Collins’s opening. At that stage they had a seven-point cushion in the last three, but disbanded when Sean Dyche’s team put pressure.
Dietz is a veteran of these survival battles and knows the importance of Everton’s attraction. Frank Lampard’s side are just one point ahead of their relegation rivals and face Manchester United, Leicester (twice), Liverpool and Chelsea in their next games. The momentum goes in one direction.
It was Everton’s biggest relegation clash since 1994, when it survived the final day of the season. Like that Wimbledon match 28 years ago, they fought off the edge of the cliff, but this team has shown how fragile it is. Jay Rodriguez equalized for the hosts before Cornet annoyed the home fans.
Lampard had spoken to his players before the game about their discipline, as he had seen red cards in the last three Premier League games that had deprived Alan and Michael Keane of this crucial clash. But it was hard to keep your cool in such a frenzy and Mason Holgate was booked within minutes because he crashed into the Cornet. At times their heads would go and in the end they would fall short.
Cornet was part of a Burnley squad that was as aggressive as Ditch. The Ivory Coast international returned to the team as a midfielder, supporting a two-player attack led by Wout Weghorst. The importance of victory in this season has not been lost by the managers, with the offensive options being rewarded with goals and drama in an unforgettable night.
Burnley usually make their move to survival deep into the season, but this campaign has even lagged behind its standards. Motivated by their noisy crowd, they took the lead with a set piece won by Aaron Lennon’s industry playing against his former team.
After Lennon won a corner, Cornet’s delivery met Collins who was falling to the ground but skillfully sent a volley to the far corner. Lampard sat on his bench, without emotion, and surely wondered how his team could get out of its own half, let alone into enemy territory.
However, Everton were tied with their first real break in the penalty area. Anthony Gordon ran into Burnley’s back line and Ashley Westwood stumbled awkwardly, even if he intended to commit a foul. Mike Dean received the penalty kick from his assistant and Richardson kept his nerve off the spot after a stutter.
After scoring their first goal in 416 minutes, Burnley could not hold on to their lead for long. They put their bodies on the line to stay in the game, Cornet made both a chase and an attack and made an impressive block when he was hit between his legs.
He would receive another sentence during an incident that reveals defects in the VAR referral system. Vitaliy Mykolenko was cut off from Lennon as he checked himself again, but a spot-kick was inevitable when he told Dean to look at his monitor, Richarlison had long since grabbed the ball and headed for the penalty area.
The Brazilian repeated his uninterrupted technique from earlier in the half, sending Nick Pope in the wrong way and rolling the ball home. “Super Frankie Lampard” sang the Evertonians, with their manager giving a series of punches in the air to celebrate.
