Following a difficult week, Everton managed to get over the disappointment of an unceremonious exit from Europe by claiming an important 2-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Sunday.
The overall performance from Everton was still miles away from what they had produced last season but nonetheless, the Toffees managed to claim the three points and the victory means that Roberto Martinez as well as the fans can breathe a lot easier.
Here is an analysis of the performance of the Everton players on the day –
|
Player Rating |
Comment |
| Tim Howard – 6
|
Tim Howard looked a bit shaky on the day against Queens Park Rangers and did not put his usually commanding performance in goal. Could do nothing about Vargas’ strike and was fortunate not to concede from Hoilett and Taarabt’s efforts late on in the second half. |
|
Seamus Coleman – 7.5
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Coleman is finally showing signs of returning back to his best and the defender put in a brilliant performance against QPR, scoring a spectacular opening goal.
Apart from the wonderful strike, Coleman defended resolutely as well and his overall performance was one of the best the Irishman has put in a very long time. |
| Phil Jagielka – 7
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Jagielka was very poor in the midweek Europa League clash but he put in a much more commanding performance against Queens Park Rangers. The England international led his team from the back and managed to keep the dangerous Charlie Austin quiet throughout. |
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John Stones – 7
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Drafted into the side ahead of the hapless Antolin Alcaraz, John Stones put in a superb performance throughout the game alongside Jagielka.
Calm and assured, Stones did not put a foot wrong and on the basis of that performance, it was quite surprising to see the young man being dropped in the first place. |
| Leighton Baines – 6
|
Baines looked decent going forward and fashioned a couple of opportunities for his side. However, the left back struggled at times to cope with the pace of Vargas and Phillips, and it still looks like he has not returned back to full fitness. |
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Aaron Lennon – 8
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Aaron Lennon is proving to be quite the revelation for Everton and he put in another fine performance in helping the Toffees to victory.
The winger scored the all important winner in the second half but his overall performance, which included providing Coleman protection down the right, was admirable. |
| Darrron Gibson – 7
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Darron Gibson has been one of the better performers for Everton since his return back to the fold from injury and he was solid once again on Sunday. The Irishman kept the ball moving with his impressive passing abilities and his presence in midfield helped the Toffees control the game for long periods. |
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James McCarthy – 6.5
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Following his shocking performance in Kiev last time out, James McCarthy was much more solid against Queens Park Rangers this weekend.
McCarthy provided very good protection to his backline and overall, the midfielder would have been pleased with his display on the day. |
| Leon Osman – 7.5
|
The evergreen Leon Osman has been playing wonderfully well over the past few weeks and he was once again Everton’s most dangerous player during the victory over QPR. Osman provided the assist for the first goal and he was buzzing throughout the game, fashioning a host of other chances for his teammates. |
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Arouna Kone – 6
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Kone had to be subbed off due to an injury but for the duration of his time on the pitch, it has to be said that the Ivorian looked very dangerous. |
| Romelu Lukaku – 7
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Lukaku carried the ball very well throughout the game and gave the QPR backline a lot of trouble. However, he did not seem to be on the same wavelength with a couple of his teammates and the striker wasted a few good scoring situations as a result. |
Substitute
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Ross Barkley – 7.5
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Barkley replaced the injured Romelu Lukaku with only 20 minutes to play and the young man did not have enough time to make much of an impact. |
| Steven Naismith – NA
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Replaced Kone late on and barely got a touch of the ball |
