Capital One Cup - Third Round - Everton FC (Home)
A rotated lineup to face Everton in the League Cup. We have the toughest match of any of the big sides, though Spurs went out on penalties to Crystal Palace. We should have enough to get past the Merseysiders today.
In the 13th minute Jacobsen lofted a ball forwards to Persson, who brought it down and drilled a low shot goalwards. Ederson managed to push it aside, but it was barely in the field of play, and Doebel got their first to nail it into the roof from the sharpest of angles! Crazy finish, and a first Saints goal for the German!
In the 20th minute Doebel passed to Persson, who did brilliantly to get through the defence and get a shot off, but Ederson’s fingertips knocked it onto the post and away!
Just two minutes later though and Doebel had his second! Jacobsen’s incredible run down the right ended in a low cross, which was semi-cleared to Balic, who chipped it across to Doebel, with the German volleying in off the post!
In the 30th minute Tadic chipped a ball forwards for Persson, who’d beaten the offside trap, and there was no way the team’s most clinical finisher wasn’t scoring one on one. 3 nil.
In the 49th minute Persson had his brace too, with a close range header from a floating Chambers cross.
In the 55th minute Jurcik rose to head goalwards from a Balic free kick, and Ederson only succeeded in knocking it in off the back of Ings for an own goal.
In the 59th minute Ederson was able to deny Persson a hat trick after Tadic picked the striker out with another great ball.
Griffiths pulled one back two minutes later as Cahill’s poor clearance allowed a low cross to be drilled in by Deulofeu for a close range tap in.
Kranjcar did get his debut in the 64th minute as I looked to rest Persson for the weekend league fixture.
Larsson replaced Balic and Prins was on for Tadic in the 73rd minute.
Prins split the defence for Kranjcar in the 81st minute, but he was a fraction offside, and Ederson made the save regardless.
An emphatic win that dismissed any suggestions of an easy draw. We continue our flawless start to the season thanks to braces from Sven Doebel and Linus Persson. The Swede has been on fire so far this season and has already begun to repay my faith in him, whilst I’m delighted that Doebel is off the mark now too. Superb performances across the board though really, as Everton were outshot 21-3. All the other big sides went through, including United on penalties.
POM: Sven Doebel (9.3, 2G, 0A)