Premier League
Huddersfield0Everton2

Huddersfield Town 0-2 Everton

Gueye's strike was just his third goal of the season
Idrissa Gueye's strike was just his third goal of the season

Everton left Huddersfield Town with lingering relegation worries as goals in each half from Cenk Tosun and Idrissa Gueye gave the Toffees a comfortable win at The John Smith's Stadium.

David Wagner's side could have taken a giant stride towards safety with victory, but paid the price for conceding possession cheaply when Theo Walcott set up Tosun for the opener six minutes before the interval.

Huddersfield - who are just three points above the relegation zone and face Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal in their last three games - struggled to create chances and Everton wrapped up the win in the 77th minute when Leighton Baines set up Gueye for a low drive past Jonas Lossl.

It still did not bring respite for Sam Allardyce - visiting Everton fans hoisted a protest banner and aimed abusive chants in the direction of their manager.

Allardyce criticised in victory

Allardyce (left) has lost just one of his last seven games
Allardyce (left) has lost just one of his last seven games

Everton comfortably secured their second victory of the week - but any thoughts that this would switch opinion in Allardyce's favour can be dismissed.

Allardyce met Everton owner Farhad Moshiri in London on Thursday and said 24 hours later that he was in the process of making plans for next season.

But that has failed to dispel the question marks over his future, with Marco Silva - Moshiri's top target when Ronald Koeman was sacked in October - now available and Shakhtar Donetsk's highly-rated coach Paulo Fonseca also linked with Goodison Park.

Here, Evertonians registered their current disapproval by unfurling a large banner reading "Our Survey Says Get Out Of Our Club" in reference to the recent Fans' Panel survey that asked supporters to rate Allardyce's performance out of 10. He was also the target of less than complimentary chants.

Allardyce, in his defence, can now point to a Premier League table that shows Everton lying in a comfortable eighth place after another three points, and a joyless season will end without anxiety.

He will regard this as the successful completion of the task he was recruited to perform - but it is increasingly hard to see how Allardyce's pragmatic style will win over the cynics among Everton supporters.

Fan scepticism is something Allardyce has lived with at various stages in his career and it shows no sign of changing any time soon.

Huddersfield face anxious finale

Premier League bottom six

This was a crucial game for Huddersfield Town and the mood of anticipation around the atmospheric John Smith's Stadium reflected the fact that victory here would have virtually assured Premier League safety.

Huddersfield's supporters delivered their usual magnificent backing and the work-rate of David Wagner's players was prodigious - but they simply could not find the composure and quality required at the vital times when they had periods of supremacy.

Indeed, Tosun's opener came at the end of Huddersfield's best spell and switched the entire emphasis of a game in which moments of class were in short supply.

And now, from a position where this one win could have given them relative comfort, they face a potentially anxious end to the season, with a hazardous final three games away to Manchester City and Chelsea, and at home to Arsenal.

Wagner and his players will have completed a superb achievement to stay in the Premier League - but their relegation worries still linger after a performance that was full of endeavour but short of inspiration.

Schneiderlin's upturn in fortunes

Morgan Schneiderlin's season of misery hit a nadir shortly after Allardyce's arrival, when he became the butt of fierce criticism from Everton's supporters.

It was all in stark contrast to the manner in which he distinguished himself after his £24m move from Manchester United in the January transfer window last season.

Schneiderlin, to his credit, has worked hard to rehabilitate himself and was outstanding again here, and it must have been sweet for the talented France midfield man to hear his name being chanted loudly by Everton's fans.

It is hardly enough to salvage a miserable season at Goodison Park, but at least he is ending the season on an upward curve.

Man of the match - Morgan Schneiderlin

Only Seamus Coleman (78 touches) saw more of the ball than Morgan Schneiderlin on 73. Schneiderlin (right) played 58 passes - the most in the Everton team. He also won possession back nine times in an impressive display.
Only Seamus Coleman (78 touches) saw more of the ball than Morgan Schneiderlin on 73. Schneiderlin (right) played 58 passes - the most in the Everton team. He also won possession back nine times in an impressive display.

'It's still match point' - Manager reaction

Media playback is not supported on this device

Huddersfield Town 0-2 Everton: David Wagner rues missed chances

Huddersfield boss David Wagner: "The support from the stands was great, we gave everything but we were beaten by quality in the end.

"We missed opportunities and they scored with their first effort on goal and then in the second half we were not at the same level.

"We have to deal with it and we will deal with it. We had four match points before this game and now we have three left."

Media playback is not supported on this device

Huddersfield Town 0-2 Everton: Allardyce hails Everton's 2-0 win

Everton boss Sam Allardyce: "Confidence grows and performances are getting better and better. That's 14 points from the last seven games.

"Let's see if we can go to the end of the season undefeated. I have every respect for every club I have worked at and am trying my very best.

"I'm sure the fans have gone home happy today and so they should. They haven't seen many results and performances away from home in the last two-and-a-half years."

Huddersfield's goal problems - the stats

Tosun fired low into the corner before the interval, his fifth Everton goal
Tosun fired low into the corner before the interval to score his fifth Everton goal
  • Everton have won two of their last three Premier League away games (W2 D1 L0), more than they had in their previous 23 on the road (W1 D9 L13).
  • Huddersfield have failed to score in 19 different Premier League games this season, the joint-most by a promoted side in their debut season in the competition (level with Cardiff in 2013-14).
  • This was Everton's first away win in the league by more than one goal since Boxing Day 2016, when they won 2-0 at Leicester.
  • Cenk Tosun scored his fourth away Premier League goal of the season - no Everton player has scored more on the road in 2017-18 (level with Wayne Rooney).
  • Leighton Baines has been involved in 82 Premier League goals for Everton (29 goals, 53 assists), behind only Romelu Lukaku (91) and Duncan Ferguson (83) for the Toffees in the competition.

What's next?

Everton host relegation-threatened Southampton on Saturday, 5 May (17:30 BST), while Huddersfield travel to Premier League champions Manchester City a day later for a 13:30 kick-off.

Line-ups

Huddersfield

  • 1Lössl
  • 33Hadergjonaj
  • 25Jorgensen
  • 26Schindler
  • 5Kongolo
  • 6HoggBooked at 50minsSubstituted forMaloneat 62'minutes
  • 10Mooy
  • 23QuanerSubstituted forBillingat 59'minutes
  • 21Pritchard
  • 17van La ParraSubstituted forDepoitreat 75'minutes
  • 24Mounie

Substitutes

  • 2Smith
  • 3Malone
  • 8Billing
  • 13Coleman
  • 15Löwe
  • 20Depoitre
  • 27Stankovic

Everton

  • 1Pickford
  • 23Coleman
  • 6Jagielka
  • 4Keane
  • 3Baines
  • 17Gueye
  • 2Schneiderlin
  • 27VlasicSubstituted forFunes Moriat 75'minutes
  • 10RooneySubstituted forDaviesat 63'minutes
  • 11Walcott
  • 14TosunSubstituted forNiasseat 72'minutes

Substitutes

  • 7Bolasie
  • 15Martina
  • 19Niasse
  • 25Funes Mori
  • 26Davies
  • 33Robles
  • 54Baningime
Referee:
Lee Probert
Attendance:
24,121

Match Stats

Home TeamHuddersfieldAway TeamEverton
Possession
Home54%
Away46%
Shots
Home9
Away7
Shots on Target
Home2
Away5
Corners
Home4
Away3
Fouls
Home9
Away8

Live Text

Match ends, Huddersfield Town 0, Everton 2.

Full Time

Second Half ends, Huddersfield Town 0, Everton 2.

Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Seamus Coleman.

Attempt blocked. Scott Malone (Huddersfield Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Alex Pritchard.

Offside, Huddersfield Town. Jonas Lössl tries a through ball, but Steve Mounie is caught offside.

Alex Pritchard (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Morgan Schneiderlin (Everton).

Philip Billing (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Foul by Tom Davies (Everton).

Attempt blocked. Laurent Depoitre (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Steve Mounie.

Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Michael Keane.

Foul by Philip Billing (Huddersfield Town).

Tom Davies (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Goal!

Goal! Huddersfield Town 0, Everton 2. Idrissa Gueye (Everton) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Leighton Baines.

Offside, Everton. Phil Jagielka tries a through ball, but Oumar Niasse is caught offside.

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Delay in match Phil Jagielka (Everton) because of an injury.

Substitution

Substitution, Everton. Ramiro Funes Mori replaces Nikola Vlasic.

Substitution

Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Laurent Depoitre replaces Rajiv van La Parra.

Alex Pritchard (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Morgan Schneiderlin (Everton).

Substitution

Substitution, Everton. Oumar Niasse replaces Cenk Tosun.

Foul by Philip Billing (Huddersfield Town).

Seamus Coleman (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Seamus Coleman.

Foul by Philip Billing (Huddersfield Town).

Nikola Vlasic (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Substitution, Everton. Tom Davies replaces Wayne Rooney.

Substitution

Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Scott Malone replaces Jonathan Hogg.

Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Phil Jagielka.

Attempt blocked. Philip Billing (Huddersfield Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Substitution

Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Philip Billing replaces Collin Quaner.

Offside, Everton. Morgan Schneiderlin tries a through ball, but Idrissa Gueye is caught offside.

Foul by Alex Pritchard (Huddersfield Town).

Seamus Coleman (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Attempt saved. Seamus Coleman (Everton) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Nikola Vlasic.

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Delay in match Cenk Tosun (Everton) because of an injury.

Christopher Schindler (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Foul by Cenk Tosun (Everton).

goal

As It Stands

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Man City34293298257390
2Man Utd34235665263974
3Liverpool362012480374372
4Tottenham34208666313568
5Chelsea35206960342666
6Arsenal341761166462057
7Burnley361412103532354
8Everton36139144254-1248
9Leicester351111134952-344
10Newcastle35118163544-941
11Crystal Palace36911164154-1338
12Bournemouth36911164260-1838
13Watford35108174260-1838
14Brighton35813143247-1537
15West Ham34811154263-2135
16Huddersfield3598182756-2935
17Swansea3589182752-2533
18Southampton35614153554-1932
19Stoke36612183265-3330
20West Brom36513183054-2428
View full Premier League table

Top Stories

Get Inspired Activity Finder

Run by the BBC and partners

Find ways to get active near you: