“?Everton eased to a Premier League win over Middlesbrough to move them up to second in the table, after three first half goals ensured that the Toffees maintained their unbeaten start and condemned Boro to their second successive defeat.
Boro struggled to create chances during the game and even their goal came in contentious fashion when it appeared that Alvaro Negredo had bundled the ball out of Maarten Stekelenburg’s hands.
TEAM NEWS | Here’s how #Boro will line up to face @Everton at Goodison Park this afternoon. #UTB pic.twitter.com/MGW27FeVbL
Everton 3 Middlesbrough 1: Boro come unstuck as Toffees come from behind https://t.co/4tp0hJGaWG pic.twitter.com/xQZKRI7Pgc
Everton have looked mightily impressive in their unbeaten start to the season and Boro didn’t do anything to challenge that despite taking the lead.
A tepid opening 20 minutes saw both sides struggle to create anything meaningful, with Everton struggling to break down a rigid Boro defence. Then an innocuous cross into the box saw Boro take the lead.
Goalkeeper Maarten Steklenburg looked to have been impeded as he came to claim a cross. Negredo headed the arm of the keeper causing him to spill the ball into the net.
The goal stood much to the annoyance of the home fans, but the dismay was short lived when Gareth Barry equalised on his 600th Premier League appearance.
Barry scored with a composed left foot finish following a corner, but Victor Valdes can feel hard done by after it looked like Ashley Williams studs were raised high. The goal stood and it sparked Everton into life.
A superb goal from Seamus Coleman following an interchange with Romelu Lukaku saw him score his first goal of the season while another was added before the half was over from Lukaku.
Lukaku got a deft touch to a Yannick Bolasie cross to put Everton in the driving seat before the half was over.
Boro failed to add any extra impetus in the second half and struggled to create any chances to test Steklenburg, while Everton seemed to take their foot off the gas.
All in all, it looked like a difficult test for Boro and in the end it proved to be too much. Boro failed to have a shot on target in the game and will need to improve that going forward.
Everton now move up to second in the table, and it means this is their best start to a season since 1978.
? | Team news is in! Here’s our XI and subs to face @boro in the @premierleague. COYB! #EFCmatchday pic.twitter.com/VrucWpRcqd
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TEAM NEWS | Here’s how #Boro will line up to face @Everton at Goodison Park this afternoon. #UTB pic.twitter.com/MGW27FeVbL
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