Leicester City 2-2 Everton: Foxes climb out of the drop zone after pulsating encounter

The questions came in as fast as the savage tackles. Why did James Maddison take that penalty? What was Alex Iwobi thinking with that pass? How did Dominic Calvert-Lewin miss that opportunity? However, through it all, one stuck more than the other: Will Seamus Coleman be okay?

When the stakes are as high as they are on this frenzied night, with two huge clubs frantically trying to stay in the Premier League, it’s easy to forget the human aspect of it all, but that was brought into sharp focus just before half-time. time.

Coleman, Everton’s longest-serving player and captain of the club, played with the enthusiasm of his youth: as a team, Everton embodied all his qualities, full of energy and determination and a refusal to give up, but in a partnership with Boubakary Soumare, everything changed .

During one of those sickening encounters, Coleman’s leg wobbled and in a flash he was surrounded by medics. Soon he was lying on a stretcher. The reaction of those around him told you that this was not something trivial.

What a terrible shame. This was a spectacular game – not because of the quality, but because of the sheer drama, full of mistakes and gambles, brimming with last gasp challenges and long-bursting runs and, most importantly, the determination to keep fighting to the end.

In a result of little help to either side, they drew 2-2 – both had led at one point

James Maddison can lament his missed penalty as he went straight down the middle – with Jordan Pickford keeping level

Both teams could have won, both teams could have lost. A point was the least they would have wanted, but in some ways they would have gladly accepted it. They remain players in this relentless fight, the chance to get to safety remains in their hands.

Whatever work Sean Dyche had done this weekend, after their shelling of Newcastle, clearly worked. Everton came out swinging and surrounded Leicester in their penalty area with a succession of forward crashed balls from Jordan Pickford, leaving the forwards to chase and fight.

It is no exaggeration to say that Leicester looked petrified by the frenzy, unable to cope with the physicality of it all, as corners and crosses came in. Despite all the criticism they have received, Everton had to be commended for what could have been their best. start a game all season.

In fact, they should have been ahead after eight minutes. Speeding to the right, Iwobi found himself unmarked 12 yards out, but he gave Daniel Iversen the chance to make a great save, rather than put his foot through and rip a shot into the net.

Such was the weight of building pressure though, you knew another opportunity wouldn’t be long in coming and it showed. In the 14th minute, Coleman clipped a cross and Timothy Castagne short-circuited and crashed into Calvert-Lewin as if someone fell from his room at closing time.

He tried to look shocked. Michael Oliver had pointed to the spot, but who was he kidding? It was the most obvious penalty you could wish for and Calvert-Lewin stepped up to convert and scored for the first time since last October. There were 3,000 in the distance, but they made the sound of 43,000.

With their tails up, it felt like Everton could take matters into their own hands. A level of nervousness in the Leicester ranks was best illustrated when, under no pressure whatsoever, Soyuncu put in a pass straight out of play. All Everton had to do, you felt, was to keep calm.

But it was beyond them. After being in a position they wanted for 20 minutes, they were behind after 35 minutes. You’ve heard this many times before this season, but to my chagrin, they had only themselves to blame.

Soyuncu leveled with Leicester’s first meaningful sight of goal and turned in from eight yards out after Maddison’s free-kick reached Harvey Barnes and was sent back to him via a tap from Wout Faes, one of the few times the Belgian played as if his legs were not tied together.

Dyche could hardly believe what he saw, but worse was to follow: without any pressure, Iwobi gave the ball directly to Youri Tielemans, who caught a pass to Maddison and he dismissed Vardy, the veteran around Pickford, to score his 136th Premier League goal. goal.

What an impact he continues to have and number 137 should have arrived just before half time when, in a dramatic period of play which saw Calvert-Lewin miss from a yard, a Leicester counter ended with Vardy clipping a shot over Pickford but on the bar.

It is no exaggeration that the futures of two clubs could have changed in those 60 seconds, but the same was true in first half stoppage time when Michael Keane acted inexplicably, but Maddison’s feeble penalty allowed Pickford to save.

Pictures on Pickford’s water ball showed that Maddison, who had not taken a penalty in five years, had a 60 per cent chance of going straight down the middle and that was exactly what he did. Pickford had done his homework and how it paid off.

They returned for the second period with the bit between their teeth and equalized as Iwobi arrived at the back post and turned in Calvert-Lewin’s shot. The noise, again, from the other side was remarkable and you felt there would be more goals to be scored.

Oddly enough, it didn’t work, despite both teams leaving nothing behind. It’s exactly what Coleman would have done. What an absolute shame that he couldn’t play his part.