Carlo Ancelotti is expected to be present in the stands when Everton play Arsenal on Saturday, and thanks to Duncan Ferguson’s stewardship he will be watching a vibrant, confident, technically unbeaten side, though not one in the last four of the Carabao Cup.
Kasper Schmeichel’s two saves from the first Everton penalties of the shootout saw to that, earning Leicester a semi-final against Aston Villa, though Ferguson and his players could take a lot of pride in fighting back from a two-goal interval deficit to claim a normal-time draw thanks to a piledriving equaliser from Leighton Baines in the 90th minute. Leicester were worth the victory on the balance of play, though by the end Goodison was jumping again, and there is clearly a direct communication between Ferguson, his players and the Everton support that Ancelotti might find difficult to emulate.
“I thought we deserved to win, but Duncan has given the team and the crowd some real spirit,” Brendan Rodgers said. “He’s a true Evertonian but he’s also a very good coach, if it is not his time this time I’m sure he’ll get his chance soon.” Ferguson looked drained after the game, partly through disappointment, partly through finding it hard to sleep these past couple of weeks. “I thought it was going to be our night when Leighton hit the top corner, but it wasn’t to be,” the Everton interim manager said. “We needed to be more aggressive in the first half but the players gave every ounce of energy and I’d like to thank them for that. We’ve given the new guy something to build on.”
Ayoze Pérez might have given Leicester an even earlier lead when Ricardo Pereira showed a turn of speed to reach the byline on the right, but though his cut back picked out the Leicester forward perfectly the finish was hasty and high over the bar. When the visitors opened the scoring just before the half hour the move was almost identical. Again Pereira found himself with time and space on the right, only this time instead of attempting to beat Baines he crossed early and low to find James Maddison, who coolly controlled the ball before finding a way past Jordan Pickford with the outside of his right boot.
It was no more than Leicester deserved for the eagerness of their approach, and a couple of minutes later they went further ahead. Maddison’s corner was flicked on by Jamie Vardy, even though with Mason Holgate in midfield Everton had three centre‑halves on defensive duty, and it was a simple task for Jonny Evans to apply a close-range finish at the far post.
If ever the home side needed the sort of bear pit atmosphere Ferguson demanded before kick-off it was now, yet by half-time the only section of the crowd making itself heard was the corner allocated to the Leicester supporters. While Ferguson cut the same animated figure in the technical area as he had in his first match in charge against Chelsea, this time the response was a delayed one.
Everton might have pulled a goal back after an hour had Yerry Mina been able to do better with a free header from a Baines corner, before Dennis Praet shot at Schmeichel at the other end with a chance to make the game safe. Vardy’s runs and subtle touches had caused problems for Everton’s defenders all night, and he almost created one of the goals of the season midway through the second half, first by finding pace to beat the cover then showing awareness to backheel a pass to find Marc Albrighton in space. The winger knew he had to try a first-time shot but his right foot curler came back off the bar.
Leicester regretted that missed opportunity almost immediately as Tom Davies pulled a goal back with a sidefoot volley from Richarlison’s cross, particularly as the Goodison atmosphere finally arrived for the last 20 minutes, a fact acknowledged by Everton’s caretaker manager removing his suit jacket in the rain. The substitute Moise Kean sent over a cross from the right that Dominic Calvert-Lewin rose to head over the bar, and Ferguson threw an 18-year-old debutant into the mix in Anthony Gordon, but it was experienced old hand Baines, only playing because of an injury to Lucas Digne, who finally sent Goodison into rapture with a rasping shot from outside the area.