Everton won their final home match of the Premier League season on Saturday afternoon, seeing off Sheffield United with a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.
The Toffees took the lead after the first half hour, when Abdoulaye Doucoure nodded home after impressive forward play by Dominic Calvert-Lewin to draw out goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, before finding his teammate with a pinpoint left-footed cross.
Another home win means Everton have equalled their Premier League record of five consecutive home victories without conceding a goal.
For Everton, the match represented their last home encounter of the season, and heading into the game, the Toffees had earned victories in all of their past three contests at Goodison, while Chris Wilder’s visiting Blades arrived on Merseyside having already been relegated, sitting 20th placed in the Premier League.
Sean Dyche, once again kitted out in his tracksuit, made two changes to his starting XI from last time out at Luton Town, with captain Seamus Coleman and Amadou Onana coming in for Ben Godfrey and the injured Jack Harrison.
A quiet opening few minutes was watched on in a relaxed atmosphere inside the stadium, with fans on the Gwladys Street End shielding their eyes behind Pickford’s goal, enjoying a sunny afternoon at the match.
Calvert-Lewin’s early half chance was the only standout moment from either side in the first 10 minutes, after the striker cut inside from the right channel, striking a bouncing ball at Foderingham as he entered the opposition penalty area.
On 13 minutes, the forward found an opportunity again. This time, picked out by a long ball over the top of the Blades’ defence, he brought the ball down brilliantly. Slightly wide of the goal, Calvert-Lewin pulled it back across the six-yard box, sliding in Doucoure, whose first-time effort was saved from close range.
Firmly in control, Everton continued to dominate the ball, appearing unthreatened by the opposition during a fairly uneventful first half hour.
The Blues struck the opening goal in the 31st through Calvert-Lewin. McNeil found the Everton man with a precise through ball, and, charging towards the left side of the penalty area, he drew Foderingham out of his goal.
With the goalkeeper off his line, the Everton number nine crossed into the box, guiding the ball to the head of Doucoure, who nodded the Toffees into the lead.
“There have been some really big highs and some really tough lows, but we have got there this season. Today was a strange game, it had a strange feeling, but it was another 1-0 victory and another clean sheet.”
— Everton (@Everton) May 11, 2024
Sean Dyche's reaction: pic.twitter.com/bcymLxKQgM
The visitors’ frustration began to show just five minutes later, with Blades’ captain Jack Robinson losing his composure and shoving Calvert-Lewin to the floor after the pair had challenged for an aerial duel. Both were booked for their roles in the dispute.
Jordan Pickford was called into action shortly before half-time, denying Andre Brooks, who’d mustered the Sheffield United’s first threatening moment of the game.
In stoppage time of the first half, James Garner played a looping cross to the back post, where Doucoure returned a header across goal, almost finding the far corner. That effort was the final show of action as the first session came to a close with the Blues holding a deserved lead.
Comfortable holding an advantage, Everton have stopped the opposition from scoring a first-half goal in 24 of their 37 games, with only Arsenal (25) having done so more often in the Premier League this season.
The match’s slow-paced tempo crept into the second half, and neither side registered a clear-cut chance during the first 15 minutes following the restart. However, the visitors looked to be growing in confidence, while Everton appeared to be losing their comfortable grip on the game.
Calling upon reinforcements from the Blues’ bench, Dyche made a double change mid-way through the half, bringing on Andre Gomes and Lewis Dobbin for McNeil and goalscorer Doucoure.
Back-to-back Blades’ corners asked questions of the Toffees backline, but the home side defended admirably to see out the Sheffield United pressure.
On 78 minutes, Garner strode forward, before firing a low shot just wide of the far post, and moments later, Everton made a third change to their line-up, sending on striker Youssef Chermiti for valuable minutes. The 19-year-old replaced Calvert-Lewin.
The Portuguese looked sharp, making incisive runs behind the opposition defence, before, on 87 minutes, taking his man on and firing just over the crossbar in an ambitious attempt.
A head injury to Gomes just before stoppage time forced Everton into another change, with the midfielder being replaced by 21-year-old Lewis Warrington, whose introduction was his first league appearance for the Toffees.
Holding onto their one-goal advantage, the Blues coasted through the final few moments to finish their home campaign with a fifth-consecutive home win.
After the final whistle, Everton's players took a lap of appreciation around the pitch to thank the fans for their incredible support throughout the season.
