news-engine

← premier_league

Everton player ratings as Ndiaye majestic and Dibling promising in Lille draw

· Chris Beesley · 2026-08-15T16:27:31+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Everton were left to rue a string of missed chances as they were denied victory over Davide Ancelotti’s Lille in the dying seconds of their final friendly match of pre-season. Iliman Ndiaye put the Blues ahead from the penalty spot late in the first half after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was brought down, calmly rolling the ball past Berke Ozer. But after David Moyes made seven changes in the second half, his side became disjointed. Harrison Armstrong had early spurned a golden opportunity to double the lead and after debutant Brennan Johnson also missed a couple of chances, the Blues were punished in stoppage time as a Lille equaliser, that had looked increasingly likely, finally came from Hakon Haraldsson. And here's how we rated the Everton players... Jordan Pickford 7 Returning from his record-breaking exploits at the World Cup, England’s number one was penalised for holding onto the ball for too long but was otherwise flawless, picking out Thierno Barry for a chance with a long punt upfield and denying Basar Onal with a low hand when the Lille player tried to go around him. Merlin Rohl 7 With Everton still not having signed a new right-back, Rohl, one of the better performers throughout pre-season, at least offers more going forward than centre-back Jake O’Brien in the role and as well as dovetailing well with Tyler Dibling, he forced a smart stop from Ozer with a low left-foot drive before moving into central midfield after the raft of changes. Vitalii Mykolenko 7 Has looked somewhat sluggish in recent weeks but appeared more solid here, keeping tabs on Kylian Mbappe’s teenage brother Ethan and played the reaching pass to Dewsbury-Hall that won the penalty. James Tarkowski 6 Typically strong leadership at the back, he looks a more accomplished figure when Jarrad Branthwaite is alongside him, he bundled the ball out for a corner when under pressure from Soriba Diaoune with Lille wanting a penalty for handball. Jarrad Branthwaite 7 Played a pinpoint through-ball to Barry in the first couple of minutes that the striker should have done better with and brought an added dimension striding out from defence, if Everton can keep him fit this season, he can have a massive impact on them potentially climbing the table. Harrison Armstrong 7 Capped a promising pre-season of many minutes with another bright display full of smart runs and neat passes but there is no getting away from the fact that he missed an absolute sitter when one-on-one with the keeper when picked out by Barry only to hit his shot high and wide. Hayden Hackney 6 Given an appreciative pre-match roar from the home fans ahead of his Hill Dickinson Stadium debut, he’s still finding his feet in his new surroundings but looks tidy on the ball and will be determined to show he can elevate the form that saw him named Championship Player of the Season into the Premier League. Tyler Dibling 7 Some encouraging play down the right wing, he combined well with Rohl and Armstrong with a few mazy dribbles and was unfortunate to be denied a first goal when picked out by Ndiaye only for Ozer to tip his effort over the bar, we’re finally seeing more of the potential he showed at Southampton but will it be enough? Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 7 Some determined runs forward, he was a lively figure in the engine room trying to get Everton up the pitch, winning the penalty after being bundled over by Nathan Ngoy and was unfortunate not to earn another one in the second half when he appeared to have his shirt pulled before later playing a diagonal pass to Johnson which almost played the debutant in. Iliman Ndiaye 8 Back on the left wing where he spent most of his first season with the Blues, the Senegal star produced a clutch of majestic moments, including a touch of class to pick out Dibling for his big chance and calmly converted the penalty, rolling the ball to Ozer’s left. Hopefully Everton can benefit from another season of his brilliance. Thierno Barry 6 His most encouraging moment was playing a pinpoint pass to Armstrong from which the teenage midfielder should have doubled Everton’s lead, he found himself on the end of a few openings, fashioned by the likes of Branthwaite and Pickford, but while he appeared to be more of a focal point, nothing quite dropped for him. SUBS Mark Travers (on 64 for Pickford) 6 Made a smart stop to deny Benjamin Andre as Everton’s defence became rather disjointed after their raft of changes but found Hakon Haraldsson’s last-gasp strike too hot to handle. Nathan Patterson (on 64 for Armstrong) 6 The only natural right-back left in the first team squad but doesn’t seem to be trusted for a starting role. Jake O’Brien (on 64 for Tarkowski) 6 Wasn’t deployed at right-back again but can he get a chance in his favoured centre-back role when Tarkowski and Branthwaite are both available? Michael Keane (on 64 for Branthwaite) 6 Came on at a time when Everton lost their rhythm but did well to carry the ball out of defence after one of several scares. Brennan Johnson (on 64 for Dibling) 6 Might have had a hat-trick had he showed more composure, having been picked out by Dewsbury-Hall, Tyrique George and Adam Aznou, you can see how his pace gets him on the end of chances but needs to rediscover the shooting boots that once made him a prolific scorer with Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur. Tyrique George (on 64 for Ndiaye) 7 Plenty of creativity down the left after he came on, he has the potential to kick on from last season’s loan spell to become an exciting talent in an Everton shirt. Beto (on 64 for Barry) 6 Currently looks to have dropped back to the understudy role in the job share between the two Everton strikers, he had few chances and with less than a year left on his current contract, the club have a decision to make. Adam Aznou (on 76 for Mykolenko) 6 Encouraging cameo, he pushed forward to put a chance on a plate for Johnson with an inviting left-wing cross. Charly Alcaraz (on 76 for Dewsbury-Hall) 6 No big impact, it’s difficult to see where he fits back into this side.