Blues Earn Point At Burnley

Everton were forced to settle for a point after playing out a goalless draw with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon.

After an opening period that lacked noteworthy goalscoring opportunities, the contest livened up after the half-time interval with Beto and substititute Thierno Barry both denied by eye-catching saves from Clarets goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

The hosts had their moments, too, with Jacob Bruun Larsen firing over the crossbar after seemingly springing Everton's offside trap.

Ultimately, neither team were able to break the deadlock, meaning this would be the first goalless draw between the two sides since September 1924.

FIRST HALF

It was a quiet first half in Lancashire with Burnley – set up with a five-man defence – happy to concede more possession to Everton.

On only his second Premier League start since a summer move from Southampton, Dibling was involved in all three of the Blues' brightest moments of the first half.

After a quick breakaway from Charly Alcaraz, Everton's No.20 picked up possession on the right side of the penalty area, shrugged off a challenge from Lucas Pires and let fly with a dangerous left-footed shot that took a deflection on its way out for a corner, with Beto inches away from turning it home at the far post.

The first shot on target of the contest came just before the half-hour mark, but when Dibling improvised to deliver a bouncing ball into the penalty area, Alcaraz's header was straight at Clarets goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

Then, six minutes later, the hosts failed to deal with Dibling's deep cross and it fell to Alcaraz on the edge of the penalty area. The Argentine took one touch to bring the ball under control before scuffing his shot and the hosts snuffed out the resulting danger.

SECOND HALF

Attacking the end where 2,450 travelling Evertonians were housed in the second period, the Toffees forced an early corner which was delivered by former Claret McNeil and clawed away by Dubravka before Garner lashed over the crossbar on the rebound. 

At the other end, Burnley created their first real moment of threat when a searching cross from the left flank fell to Marcus Edwards inside the penalty area but, seemingly with time and space, the winger attempted to lay off the ball to a teammate rather than shoot and Tim Iroegbunam was on hand to sweep it to safety.

Moments later, Burnley perhaps should have opened the scoring when a lofted ball over Everton's defence released Jacob Bruun Larsen, who looked to have sprung the offside trap, but with only Jordan Pickford to beat, could only lift his shot over the crossbar.

The hosts were building up a head of steam and worked it well from right to left on their next attack. The ball fell kindly again for Bruun Larsen, only for Jake O'Brien to intervene with a crucial block.

Everton responded with a huge chance of their own. Iroegbunam won the ball back in midfield before driving into Burnley's penalty area and eventually digging out a cross which was flicked on target by Beto and instinctively palmed behind for a corner by Dubravka.

Alcaraz then forced Dubravka into action again with a stunning bicycle kick from 16 yards out – with the Burnley stopper watching it closely and clinging on.

The game sparked into life again with 15 minutes remaining.

Iroegbunam blocked a speculative shot on the edge of the penalty area but the ball popped up kindly for Bashir Humphreys, who saw his initial shot blocked before pulling wide of the target following a favourable rebound.

The Toffees went down the other end and Garner slipped in substitute Thierno Barry into the left side of the penalty area. The Frenchman did everything right as he drove a low shot across Dubravka, who got just enough of a glove on the effort to stop it crossing the line and Burnley hacked the loose ball clear.

Everton also had a late shout for a penalty when Dibling's 20-yard effort struck the out-stretched hand of Jaidon Anthony, only for referee Craig Pawson to wave away those appeals.