ADVERTISEMENT
Goodbye
Three wins across two competitions for Everton at the start of the 2020/21 season. The Blues' faithful will be very optimistic.
That's all for our coverage of the lunchtime fixture but there are three more matches to come today, starting with Leeds vs Fulham at Elland Road.
FT
And that's that. A very comfortable win for Everton eventually. West Brom pushed them hard in the first half but they were there for the taking after Gibbs' impetuous foul.
90+1'
We're into four added minutes. Everton are about to go top of the table until this evening at least, while West Brom will be bottom with a goal difference of -6.
89'
Still Richarlison is frustrated, this time failing to make clean contact on Digne's excellent first-time cross.
87'
The game has settled to a steady tempo, understandably. Everton still fancy a sixth in the closing moments.
James makes way
77' Change number two for the hosts as the once-again impressive James departs and Moise Kean gets 15 minutes or so to impress.
Disallowed goal
76' Richarlison is credited with three assists today, but he's yet to get on the scoresheet.
Sigurdsson sweeps a cross into his path and he emphatically finishes first-time, but he went too early and the flag goes up. It remains 5-2... for now.
Final West Brom change
75' Field on, Sawyers off.
Substitutions
70' Sensible changes from both sides. Hat-trick hero Calvert-Lewin is withdrawn as Iwobi comes on.
West Brom hand Diangana and Pereira a rest for the final 20 with the game well and truly gone.
Phillips and Edwards are the replacements.
68'
There's still plenty of time for this to get uglier. West Brom are defending at a Championship level at the moment, 10 men or otherwise.
Goal! Everton 5-2 West Brom
Hat-trick for Calvert-Lewin as he buries a header from Rodriguez's corner. Too easy now.
Crossbar
66' Digne, rather than substitute Sigurdsson, takes an invitingly-positioned free-kick and is only denied by the bar.
Everton change
65' That's it for Doucoure's home debut after his first-half yellow. Sigurdsson on in his place.
Everton will enjoy these last 25 minutes, I suspect.
Goal! Everton 4-2 West Brom
Everton are moving clear. It's a lovely goal. Rodriguez chips a ball up for Richarlison, who slides it across for Calvert-Lewin to finish. Two for him, four for Everton. And three points now surely.
West Brom chance
58' An opening goes begging for the visitors. The front three race forward and Pereira slides a ball left to Robinson. He then looks to play it back across goal for Diangana but it's cut out.
Goal! Everton 3-2 West Brom
And they're not back level for long. Digne sends in a free-kick, Richarlison's header is initially saved and Keane is there to score the rebound. Goals in back-to-games for the centre-half.
51'
A memorable moment for Pereira and the West Brom fans, but they'll still need to be exceptionally resilient in this second half if they're to come away with a share of the spoils.
GOAL!!! EVERTON 2-2 WEST BROM
THERE'S THE INSPIRATION THEY NEEDED! Pereira's free-kick from a long way out finds the top corner. West Brom are back level!
Second half
The West Brom assistants are deep in discussion with Mike Dean as he returns to the field.
The players have to put that behind them and try to somehow make something of this.
Bilic's dismissal
And here's how Bilic managed to get himself sent off...
A goal and a red card to finish off the half, it's all gone wrong for West Brom!
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 19, 2020
Slaven Bilic vents his frustrations at Mike Dean 😡 pic.twitter.com/2GBqEsnHqv
James off the mark
Enjoy the pick of the first-half goals courtesy of James Rodriguez...
James Rodriguez is off the mark! 🔵
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 19, 2020
He finds the bottom corner to put Everton in front. pic.twitter.com/3dwMzGhBQp
Oh dear
What an extraordinary end to the first half. A draw, or better, looked a real possibility for West Brom. Now, they'll be fortunate to escape a hiding.
Half-time
Slaven Bilic storms onto the pitch to confront Mike Dean and his protests now earn him a red card!
The replay doesn't even lend itself to any protests. Shambolic.
RED CARD
And just like that, things have unravelled for West Brom.
Gibbs has been shown a straight red card for inexplicably raising his hand to the face of Rodriguez after a nudge from the Colombian.
The goal
Richarlison drives forward and gives it to Rodriguez, who sets himself with his first touch before ruthlessly finding the bottom right corner with his second. We already knew he was capable of the sublime.
GOAL!! Everton 2-1 West Brom
They do turn it around! James Rodriguez with a brilliant strike to open his Everton account!
43'
Can Everton complete the turnaround in the first-half time that remains?
Digne's latest corner uncharacteristically hits the first man.
34'
Encouraging response from West Brom. Diangana slips Pereira neatly in-behind and Pickford has to come out to block the ball at his feet.
The goal stands
Calvert-Lewin was offside, but the ball broke his way from a West Brom touch. Mike Dean points to the centre circle and Everton are level.
VAR checking goal
Coleman stands up a cross for Richarlison and after a deflection, it bounces for Calvert-Lewin, who instinctively backheels the ball in from point-blank range.
The flag goes up, but VAR are checking...
29'
Everton actually win a succession of corners, the last of which sees Keane lift his header over the top from Digne's dangerous ball.
27'
Better from Everton as Rodriguez slips Coleman in and the low cross is blocked behind. Richarlison nearly gets on the end of the subsequent corner.
POST!
So close to a precious two-goal lead! A move that started at the back ends in a Furlong cross to Jake Livermore, whose effort strikes the woodwork.
18'
Robinson tries his luck from range and Pickford has to be alert to push it away.
West Brom look fairly confident.
16'
The game's first yellow goes to Doucoure for pulling down Diangana as he looked to counter again.
Allan shoots straight at Johnstone from 25 yards.
15'
And they're already pushing for an equaliser, with Calvert-Lewin's close-range shot on the spin deflected wide.
14'
Everton have only won one (one!) of the last 42 games in which they have conceded first.
They mustn't panic, though, with plenty of time to assert themselves.
The goal
West Brom did well to quickly regain possession in their own half and Diangana led their counter-attack. He had Pereira to his left as he neared the edge of the box but chose to shoot, and his effort nestled in the bottom right corner!
GOAL!! Everton 0-1 West Brom
10' Well that's a turn-up for the books! West Brom lead!
Everton go close
3' Calvert-Lewin will feel he should have made it 1-0. He arrives to meet James Rodriguez's precise corner at the back post but can only direct his header past the post after getting the better of his marker.
1'
Pickford gets himself into a bit of bother in the first exchanges, misjudging a pass which Pereira intercepts. The Brazilian lays it off to Grady Diangana, who forces Pickford into the game's first save from the edge of the area.
Kick-off
After the players take a knee, Everton get us underway on this bright Saturday lunchtime.
The teams are out
Everton emerge from the tunnel while West Brom enter the pitch from the temporary external dressing room.
The visitors are in their green and yellow striped away kit today.
Confirmed West Brom XI
And West Brom too stick with the same line-up.
Johnstone; Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley, O'Shea, Gibbs; Pereira, Livermore, Sawyers, Diangana; Robinson.
Ahmed Hegazi is fit enough for the bench, where he is joined by summer signing Cedric Kipre.
Confirmed Everton XI
Everton are unchanged from their win in North London.
Team in full: Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne; Doucoure, Allan, Gomes; Rodriguez, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison.
Alex Iwobi is on the bench in place of Theo Walcott.
Stay tuned
That’s all for now but rejoin us an hour or so before kick-off for the full, confirmed team news.
VAVEL's prediction
This week’s VAVEL prediction comes from Jonny Bentley:
It was a fantastic start to the season for Carlo Ancelotti. He pulled no punches with his line-up, fielding his three new midfield signings, and the Toffees shocked Tottenham Hotspur.
Fortunes were contrasting in the Midlands with West Brom slumping to an opening weekend defeat against Leicester City. Albion defended doggedly but their resilience was eventually broken. They gave away two sloppy penalties to worsen matters.
One boost for Slaven Bilic is the season-long loan signing of Conor Gallagher from Chelsea. A little bit more creation in midfield. Still, Bilic will know that this is a tough ask for his squad who are still adjusting to the step-up from the Championship.
Prediction: 3-0
Television details
The match will be broadcast live on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 1HD in the UK. Kick-off is at 12.30.
Last meeting
West Brom last travelled to Everton in January 2018, a few months before they were relegated. They left with a point after goals from Oumar Niasse cancelled out Jay Rodriguez’s early effort.
West Brom team news
There are two confirmed absentees for West Brom – striker Kenneth Zohore has a calf injury, while the game will come too soon for new arrival Branislav Ivanovic. Ahmed Hegazi, meanwhile, is struggling with his hamstring.
Baggies' baptism of fire
West Brom were under no illusions as to the extent of their task this season even before their heavy defeat at the hands of Leicester City last Sunday. The Baggies were only able to muster a single shot in target during the game. This Saturday lunchtime trip looks just as tricky.
Everton team news
Everton remain without Mason Holgate (toe) and Jean-Philippe Gbamin (Achilles). Fabian Delph is a doubt, while young defender Jarrad Branthwaite will miss a month or so with an ankle problem.
Toffees' dream start
After an impressive transfer window, Everton were able to heighten supporters’ excitement on the pitch with an assured victory away to Spurs. All three new additions thrived in the Blues’ midfield as they secured their first win in ‘big six’ territory since 2013.
Live
I’m David Comerford and I’ll be taking you through all the key pre-match information before by-the-minute commentary of the events at Goodison.
Welcome
Hello and welcome to VAVEL UK’s live text commentary of the Premier League match between Everton and West Bromwich Albion at Goodison Park.