Hard Candy

Everton turned the beat around to put up a determined performance in beating European-chasing Sheffield United at fortress Bramall Lane. In a rather insipid first half; both sides put the work in but could create few chances.

Right at the start of the second half though; it was Carlo Ancelotti's visitors who seized the initiative; opening the scoring via Richarlison's brilliant header from Gylfi Sigurdsson's typically-brilliant delivery. And therein lay Ancelotti's masterstroke: by bringing Richarlison to the left of midfield and inserting Sigurdsson in the centre just behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin; Everton finally had the space and the verve to threaten the home side.

Chris Wilder's side typically never gave up; and they did make a good fist of it; with overlapping centre-backs Chris Basham and Jack O'Connell providing impetus down the flanks. But this new-found Everton resolve; behind the brilliant centre-back pairing of Michael Keane & Jarrad Branthwaite; and the excellent Andre Gomes; stood firm to take all three points.