Sunderland came from behind to draw 1-1 with Everton at a raucous Stadium of Light, a result that lifted the promoted Black Cats into fourth place while nudging David Moyes’s side up to 14th. Iliman Ndiaye’s stunning solo strike put Everton in command after a dominant opening, with Jack Grealish having already rattled the post, but the visitors failed to land the killer second in a first half they largely controlled.
Everything changed on either side of the interval. After Thierno Barry skied a close-range chance in the 28th minute, Sunderland seized the initiative and, just 42 seconds into the second half, Granit Xhaka’s 20-yard drive deflected in off James Tarkowski to level the scores. The hosts then laid siege, taking the game’s next 16 shots between the 28th and 85th minutes, only for Everton to cling on through a mixture of resolve and Jordan Pickford’s interventions.
Ndiaye's solo brilliance and a fast start for Everton
Moyes’s plan to start Barry ahead of Beto, after two games without an Everton goal, initially dovetailed with a front-foot approach. Around the quarter-hour, Ndiaye collected possession down the right, combined with Barry, then danced past Dan Ballard and Xhaka, before slipping away from Lutsharel Geertruida and Nordi Mukiele to curl a left-footed shot beyond a rooted goalkeeper. It was a goal of the season contender and fully reflected Everton’s ascendancy.