The image of David Moyes’ hands on his head at the stroke of half-time was an appropriate metaphor for their season opener against Leeds United at Elland Road. 

In the first half, the Toffees failed to get out of their own half and retreated into a shell as Leeds dictated proceedings. A much-improved performance in the second half counted for nothing, as a harsh penalty call ultimately decided the fate of Everton’s season-opener in Yorkshire.

With Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko out of contention, Moyes was forced to play James Garner at left-back. Most of the first half was played in Everton’s half, with the Blues having only one touch in the opposition penalty area for the first 45 minutes.

Daniel Farke set up the Leeds press high in the first half and the onus was on James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford to find Beto with their long balls, but such attempts hardly proved successful. Jake O’Brien and Tim Iroegbunam were kept busy by Wilfriend Gnonto and Gabriel Gudmundssoen while Garner had more success on his flank up against Dan James.

After a dispiriting first half, the game opened up more in the second 45 minutes. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall dropped in to help Gueye shield the defensive line while Iroegbunam pushed forward. Leeds players also looked tired after an intense first half which allowed the Blues to take up dangerous positions in the midfield and the final third.

Jack Grealish made his debut for Everton after coming off the bench in the 75th minute and immediately took up the slot on the left flank, pushing Iliman Ndiaye to the opposite flank instead. 

Charly Alcaraz, now playing in midfield after the Grealish substitution, slipped while Everton were trying to build from the back, inviting Leeds to create chances close to the box. Tarkowski tried to put his body in the way of Anton Stach’s powerful shot, but despite having his arm in a natural position, the referee decided to award the hosts a penalty for handball.

Lukas Nmecha scored from 12 yards with his first kick of the game six minutes before the 90th minute and that was that.  Lack of depth on the bench also hurt the side here as Moyes brought on only two players in the second half, with Thierno Barry coming on just four minutes before the end.

Player ratings for Everton against Leeds United:
Jordan Pickford – 5 

Made a big save off Joel Piroe inside the first five minutes and thwarted an attempt off Anton Stach towards the end. He looked shaky while coming out to collect crosses and corners in the first half.

Jake O’Brien – 5 

Struggled to deal with the pace of Gnonto in the first half and failed to progress the play. Got better in the second half.

James Tarkowski – 5

Failed to deal with a ball into the path of Joel Piroe early on. Passing out from the back was poor in the first half. While he had a better second 45 and made a few interceptions high up the pitch, the Everton captain was wrongly adjudged to have handled the ball, leading to a penalty. Almost redeemed himself at the end, but his glancing header looped over the bar

Michael Keane – 5 

Sloppy and slow to react defensively on a few occasions. Failed to deal with the Leeds United pressure and kept playing the ball to Tarkowski to bail them out, leading to Everton’s build-up struggles in the first-half.

James Garner – 6 

Garner did reasonably well despite playing out of position. He kept Dan James quiet and provided good defensive cover.

Idrissa Gana Gueye – 5 

Uncharacteristically bad game from Idrissa Gueye, who looked more lively off the ball than on it. Made a few interceptions but failed to impose himself in the middle of the park.

Tim Iroegbunam (off at 70’) – 4 

Iroegbunam spent most of the first half trying to help O’Brien deal with Gnonto and Gudmondsson. Didn’t have a lot of influence on the game. He went into the referee’s book after a sloppy challenge on Ethan Ampadu before getting replaced by Grealish after 70 minutes.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 5 

Led the press for Everton in the first half along with Beto and besides a few composed touches here and there, failed to have a major impact. Dropped deeper to support Gueye in the second half, which allowed the Blues to push up more.

Charly Alcaraz (off at 86’) – 4 

Charly Alcaraz is just not suitable playing on the right flank which often limits his game, and tonight was no different. He had the team’s first shot on target but was also guilty of making a few wayward touches and passes, most notably the slip while playing out from the back, which eventually led to the penalty call.

Beto (CF) – 2 

Awful game from the Everton striker who was invisible for the entire 90 minutes at Elland Road. Despite a plethora of long passes sprayed out towards him, Beto failed to either win the ball or hold it or link up with the rest of his teammates, or get into dangerous positions.

The fact that Beto finished the game with just one touch inside the opposition box tells you all you need to know. The only one to put in a more tragic shift than Everton’s number 9 tonight was Chris Kavanagh while officiating the game.

Iliman Ndiaye (LW) – 6 

Ndiaye showed little moments of magic to relieve the pressure off his side, but did not get the ball in the danger areas to create chances at the opposition goal.

Subs
Jack Grealish (on for Iroegbunam at 70’) – 6 

Immediately slotted into the left flank, forcing Ndiaye on the opposite right flank. In his Everton debut, the marquee summer signing held the ball well, had a couple of great take-ons and showed positive signs.

Thierno Barry (on for Alcaraz at 86’): N/A 

Barely had any time to influence the game.

 

Reader Comments (16)

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Bobby Mallon

1 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:03:39

That was the worst game of the weekend. Totally on Moyes who I think should be sacked. Oh and I think the friedkins will do just that if we lose to Brighton

Duncan McDine

2 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:06:43

I can’t argue with those player ratings. Perhaps Gana was even less than a 5?

It’s an all too familiar feeling. I’m very concerned that things could get ugly in a hurry if the team continue to perform like that.

David West

3 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:12:53

Are those ratings -4, -5 ect?
Too high !!!

Ray Jacques

4 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:14:45

If Barry even as a raw recruit cannot get a game before Beto even at this time in his career then he must be a dud.

Bob Boote

5 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:21:52

We just need a new right winger….
😬

Jimmy Carr

6 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:22:17

One of Barry’s first touches was to pick up the ball, back to goal, and lay it off to a teammate. For that alone he should start ahead of Beto.

Mark Taylor

7 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:23:09

I said before this that playing the relegation favourites would be a yardstick. Personally I thought some of this forum were kidding themselves thinking we could push for top half. The squad is all over the place.

Our performance was truly dire, one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Certainly the worst first half I’ve even seen (55 plus years of watching). We have no pace, hardly any guile, no real goal threat, no right side attacking threat, players playing out of position, zero creativity in midfield. God help us against Brighton. Dire, dire, dire

Kevin Molloy

8 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:23:23

KDH I thought was a big disappointment tonight, under the radar from the other things that went wrong. I thought the defence on the whole acquitted themselves well, but the midfield and attack, deary me. That could be though cos we’ve had to play deep all game, and so it was so much harder to get up the pitch. Jarrad is just vital to the way we play.

Justin Doone

9 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:25:44

Everton were awful, we didn’t deserve to win the game and if Leeds would have scored one of their first half chances and won I could not complain about the score.
Looking at that, we have had no preseason, no meet and greet and no warm up. That’s how lost, limp and lathargic we were. Game plan, ha, what’s one of them?

But to lose to that, an awful decision by a referee who didn’t see it and var who didn’t over turn it. Atrocious!

If that is a penalty within the laws of the game then defenders would need to start chopping off arms not to give away penalties.
I no longer pretend to know the rules apart from if they can find a way to hurt Everton, they do.
Simplify it, ball to arm = penalty, no matter what. We will all have to accept it.
As for our next game, my fears are about to become reality. 0-3 Brighton.

Geoff Cadman

10 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:29:42

Mark Chelsea away season before last.

Josh Horne

11 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:32:58

Moyes’ match rating?

Before the match Neville referred to Moyes as Everton’s star player. Carragher nodding away.

Was he coming out with this shit when he was ruining Utd?

Neil Lawson

12 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:35:42

I’m sorry, but those player ratings are laughable. A poor display by an unbalanced 11 required to play in a specific way. There was no ” out” because of the manner in which our midfield were set up and because tonight, Beto could not have held up anything, certainly not a ball.
Tarkowski and Keane were solid in what they had to do. O’Brien too and worked hard to make progress. Gana was hardly outstanding but by no means a dud.
Pickford 5 ? Apart from missing one cross and a couple of poor kicks, was he really that poor ?
If half of the team are underperforming is it fair to be critical of those who are at least doing their best to make a decent fist of it.
The performance was poor, especially in the first half. But the team selection and tactics created so many avoidable issues and many, but not all, of the players failed miserably to adjust and to step up to the plate.

Rob Dolby

13 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:36:34

I know I shouldn’t bite and it’s all about opinions but Harry Kane would look shite if he has to run and challenge for percentage balls all match nevermind Beto.

The worse of a bad bunch in my opinion were Ndiaye, Hall and Alcaraz. They provided no physical presence, no support for the defenders and no support for the attackers. The 3 of them where shite.

O’Brien didn’t struggle against gnonto, far from it. Likewise Garner with James.

We defended well, Gana and Tim put the hard work in defensively.

We got out fought and relied on the fence yet again to bale us out.

Pickford 6 not much to do
Obrien 6 did well defensively but nothing going forward
Garner 7 kept James quiet and tried to play forward
Tarkowski 6 Other than the pen a solid game
Keane 6 solid game
Gana 6 usual destroyer
Tim 6 defensively strong
Hall 4 too light weight
Alcaraz 4 had our only shot on goal and an assist for their pen!
Ndiaye 4 totally ineffective
Beto 5 Tried hard but had absolutely no service.

Mark Taylor

14 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:41:59

Geoff 10
The difference is Chelsea away is a lot tougher, or should be, than relegation favourites away.

They were basically much better than us, even though they looked below EPL quality. What is worrying is what does that make us? Brighton may be about to tell us.

Andy McNabb

15 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:45:27

I agree, Mark Taylor. I haven’t even seen the game yet and if anyone actually understood the hand-ball rule, this would be a different discussion.

It sounds like a poor performance overall but to give Pickford a 5 when he only conceded a non-existent penalty is very harsh.

Shaun McGough

16 Posted
18/08/2025 at
23:48:50

oh dear bobby@1 TFG group have been nothing short in this window with two weeks to go but appalling, Moyes has nothing to do with recruitment in new structure, TFG have had more than enough time to prepare for what needs addressing in the squad (not starting 11 wich we barely have)but this is what happens in a multi-club owned arrangement wich is exactly what we don’t need, we let a depleted squad let 6/7 players go at the end of last season how we are ran not managed mate, WHAT HAVE TFG BROUGHT TO THE TABLE, support the boys and manager,TFG I don’t think are enough to carry us forward but they will make money out of purchasing us, one game in but I agree beto wont cut it thread

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