Everton 2 1 Leicester City
by James Nalton
at Goodison Park

CARLO ANCELOTTI is still dreaming of European qualification after his side defeated third-place Leicester City on Wednesday evening.

An impressive first-half performance saw the home side take a two-goal lead. 19-year-old winger Anthony Gordon set up Richarlison for the first before Gylfi Sigurdsson coolly slotted away a penalty after Wilfred Ndidi was adjudged to have handled the ball during an aerial challenge with Michael Keane.

The penalty was given after a VAR check lasting more than two minutes, which in itself suggests the referee’s original decision not to award a spot-kick wasn’t a clear and obvious error.

In similar situations in the past Everton have gone onto panic mode, but this time Carlo Ancelotti was able to calmly and consideredly change his formation, twice, to see out the win.

First from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1, when midfielder Tom Davies replaced Richarlison who had picked up a knock, and then to a back five when the Italian boss brought on towering Colombian centre-back Yerry Mina for winger Alex Iwobi.

“The fact that Leicester changed their shape in the second half meant we had more difficulty coping with the position of [James] Maddison and the two strikers,” said Ancelotti.

“After 60 minutes we changed the shape and put three at the back to try to defend better.”

Leicester did create a couple of chances of their own, but in the end their goal came about through good fortune.

Half-time substitute Kelechi Iheanacho had earnt his luck, though, having made the visitors much more lively up top in the second period.

He was in the right place at the right time when Mason Holgate’s attempted clearance bounced off him and found its way past Jordan Pickford.

It was a mixed evening for Everton’s English stopper. A good save from Jonny Evans in the first half, and a few commanding takes gave way to errors later on.

Keane had to clear off the line following one of them, while a failed attempt to collect a cross gave Iheanacho a chance to level the scores, but the forward couldn’t get the ball under control and sent a hurried shot over the bar.

“This is what we wanted from this game: three points," added Ancelotti.

“After playing well in the first half it was more difficult in the second, but in the end these three points give us a possibility to continue the dream we have.

“The next game [against Tottenham] will be really important, but also in the others, we have to be there and fight for a place in Europe.”