Everton edged past Championship outfit Reading in the Capital One Cup thanks to goals from Ross Barkley and Gerard Deulofeu.
Here are Read Everton’s player ratings:
Joel Robles – Made a mess of one save but overall a decent outing for Joel. Made some fine stops and his kicking was very good. Looked shaky at times but understandable given lack of game-time. 7
Aaron Lennon – Was caught out a few times at wing-back, which is forgivable seeing as he isn’t one. His pace bailed him out of trouble a few times but he was caught out of position for Reading’s opener. There was intelligence in his play going forward, and he was astute with his passing. Made some great interceptions, he’s a bit quick, isn’t he? 6
John Stones – Was forced off early in the second half but was his usual composed self. Not vintage, just neat and tidy. 6
Phil Jagielka – Nice and steady as well. Did his best to help Funes Mori, both him and Stones missed the protection of Gareth Barry. An okay evening for the captain. 6
Ramiro Funes Mori – Didn’t exactly shine at left-back. Commanding in the air and got forward when he could, but Reading got some joy down Funes Mori’s side in the first-half. Let the ball run across him and was slightly at fault for Reading’s goal, but made a very good tackle to deny the Royals in the first-half. Improved after the break when moved to centre-half. 6
Gerard Deulofeu – Was a constant threat. He has his faults like any other player, but Geri is relentless. He’s always taking on his full-back, always looking lively, always trying to get the ball into dangerous areas. Scored a free-kick and the first goal came from his corner. Was a constant outlet and created many chances. Man-of-the-match. 8
James McCarthy – Seems to be developing more of an attacking presence. Intelligent as always on the ball, the Irishman was his usual industrious self. 7
Ross Barkley – Ross is the man. He makes Everton tick and is always looking for the ball. Took his goal superbly and was going past players for fun, the Wavertree lad is becoming Everton’s head honcho and is transforming into the player we all thought he could be. 8
Leon Osman – Very quiet from Ossie, dallied in possession and made some wrong decisions when on the ball. Lacked match sharpness which is understandable. 5
Arouna Kone – Poor, spurned opportunities and didn’t get into the game at all. In danger of losing his place now. 4
Romelu Lukaku – Not happening for the Belgian at the moment. Looks sluggish and a blunt force, could do with dropping in all honesty, needs a boot up the backside. 4
Substitutes
Gareth Barry – Changed the game when he came on, Everton finally had a foundation to play from and the defence got a new level of protection. Such an intelligent player, he snuffed out Royals attacks and distributed the ball well. The first-half goes some way to explaining why Barry is always on the team-sheet. 7
Brendan Galloway – Added solidity to the back four and highlighted his burgeoning attacking promise with some good runs. Becoming an important part of the Everton set-up. 6.5
