Thierno Barry's first-half strike secured a 1-0 Premier League win for Everton over Ipswich Town at Goodison Park. The victory extends the Toffees' unbeaten start to the season and lifts them to ninth place in the standings with six points from four games.
David Moyes's side had to withstand late pressure and a major VAR controversy to claim the three points. Barry's 11th-minute goal, his fifth of the campaign, came from a James Tarkowski assist and proved enough to separate the teams. The goal arrived after just 11 minutes, a key moment in a match where Everton created 21 chances but only managed two shots on target. This profligacy, left Moyes demanding more from his forwards. "I am ratting the players like you wouldn't believe," he admitted.
A second Everton goal was ruled out by VAR for offside in a decision that infuriated manager David Moyes. Brennan Johnson was adjudged to have been in goalkeeper Christian Walton's line of sight from a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall corner, a call Moyes strongly disagreed with.
Ipswich's task was made harder when winger Abdul Fatawu received a second yellow card for diving in an attempt to win a free-kick against James Garner.
Despite being a man down, Gary O'Neil's Ipswich side pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages. Jordan Pickford was forced into a fine save from Fatawu's long-range effort before the dismissal, and later produced a quick double stop to deny Julio Enciso and Abdoul Ouattara. Jarrad Branthwaite also made a vital block to stop a goal-bound shot from Diop.
The win continues Everton's impressive defensive record, with this being their fifth clean sheet in seven matches across all competitions. Their recent form shows two wins and three draws from the last five outings, including a 1-0 victory over Wolves and a 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
Everton will be without Harrison Armstrong for their next match due to injury, joining Christian Nørgaard and Merlin Röhl on the sidelines.
This story first appeared at theguardian.com
