Everton 3-1 Coventry City: result and report

The Pundit picked Everton (46%): correct

Report

Everton came from behind to beat Coventry City 3-1 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. They got the home win they were expected to produce, but they had to recover from going behind first.

The first half produced no goals, so the game turned on a frantic spell after the break. Yann Gboho put Coventry City ahead on 52 minutes. The lead lasted only four minutes because Thierno Barry equalised from Vitaliy Mykolenko's assist.

Barry then scored again on 61 minutes, and Everton had turned the game around within nine minutes of falling behind. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall made it 3-1 on 81 minutes, with Barry setting him up. That gave Barry a hand in all three Everton goals.

What the chances say

Everton deserved the win, although the chance numbers were tighter than the final score. Both sides had ten shots and possession finished level. Everton still had more of the clear openings: seven shots on target to four, four big chances to three, and the higher xG.

Everton also sustained more pressure across the match, averaging well above Coventry City on that measure. That fits with a side that kept asking questions after falling behind rather than one that relied on a single burst.

Coventry City: closer than the score

Coventry City were not outplayed by two goals' worth, despite the margin. They finished with slightly more dangerous attacks than Everton and created three big chances of their own. Their problem was the five minutes after scoring, when they let a winning position slip almost immediately.

The game also broke a recent Everton pattern. There had been under 2.5 goals in eight of Everton's last ten Premier League matches, while this one produced four.