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Manchester City starlet Oscar Bobb has signed a new contract with the club, keeping him at the Etihad until 2029.

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Bobb has impressed at CitySigns new contract until 2029Reveals what it's like to play under GuardiolaWHAT HAPPENED?

The 20-year-old Norwegian forward came through Manchester City's academy and has enjoyed a breakout season under Pep Guardiola this term. Bobb's two goals and two assists in 16 appearances across all competitions have been rewarded with a new five-year contract, City have confirmed, keeping him at the club until 2029.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT BOBB SAID

On extending his stay at the Etihad, the young forward said: "It’s an amazing moment and to know that I get the chance for at least a few years now to hopefully be a part of this club’s first team. It’s an honour. It’s something I really wanted when the opportunity came – it was the only thing I wanted to do. Being part of it for the last couple of months, I feel like I’ve developed more than ever – it was an easy choice.

“Playing with some of my idols growing up, it’s a dream come true. It’s strange talking to my friends at home who always ask, ‘how is it?’ and in a way it is crazy, but you do get used to it and you start seeing them as people. It’s nice.”

Bobb added on what it's like to play under Guardiola: "I grew up watching not only his early City teams but from his Barcelona and Bayern Munich days. The type of football he plays is amazing and how he improves players is a big factor for why everybody wants to play under him. He’s proven time and time again that he improves players – so intense, so hard working and a nice guy.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Bobb has already made several vital contributions to City in his breakout season. He scored his first senior goal for the club in a Champions League clash against Red Star Belgrade in December before netting the last-minute winner in the league against Newcastle in January, which was awarded the Premier League Goal of the Month. Bobb joins the likes of fellow academy stars Phil Foden and Rico Lewis in signing new deals as City look to cement their position at the top of European football for many years to come.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CITY?

Guardiola's side come up against Luton in the FA Cup fifth round on Tuesday, where the Catalan coach will be able to count on Jack Grealish again after he passed a late fitness test. Bobb will be hoping to feature at some capacity in that fixture as Guardiola looks to rotate his side amid a busy schedule.

Everton have been linked with a move for FC Porto attacker Goncalo Borges in the summer transfer window, and a big update regarding a key aspect of the deal has now emerged.

Do Everton want to sign Goncalo Borges?

Much has rightly been made of the Blues' need to bring in attacking reinforcements this summer, having struggled in the final third for goals last season. It has held them back badly, with their defending often solid enough, and that needs to change in 2023/24, as they look to avoid a third Premier League relegation battle in a row.

While the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Hugo Ekitike continued to be talked up as potential options to arrive at Goodison Park before the end of the month, another player who has been linked with a switch there is Borges.

The 22-year-old has made 23 appearances for Porto to date, getting some important experience under his belt at the top level, and he registered 19 goal contributions (11 goals and eight assists) in 78 appearances for Porto B.

It is clear that Borges isn't going to be allowed to leave his current club on the cheap, however, so Everton will have to splash the cash if they are to get their man. A new update has now emerged regarding his future, with his price tag revealed.

What's the latest on Goncalo Borges to Everton?

According to the Sunday Mirror [via Goodison News], Porto will accept an offer for £13m for the winger's services this summer, should Everton "decide to take an initial interest further".

It is stated that the Portuguese don't want to lose Borges at this point in his career, however, with Braga also mentioned as potential suitors in the report.

While Everton's interest in the young attacker appears to be relatively tentative at the moment in time, £13m does seem like a reasonable amount to spend on someone with a high ceiling who is just getting started in his career.

Granted, he is yet to actually score or assist for Porto, which suggests that he wouldn't solve the Blues' attacking woes too much, but could be viewed as a long-term acquisition who may be a squad player to begin with, eventually becoming a key man as the years pass.

What is clear is that Everton still need to sign a more proven option, however – Gnonto and Ekitike are also very young players who aren't yet the finish article as well, just like Borges – in order to not rely on Dominic Calvert-Lewin too much moving forward.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

The Englishman continues to be plagued by injuries and Neal Maupay is not an adequate replacement to lead the line, having scored and assisted just once apiece in 30 appearances since arriving from Brighton, which is a terrible return for any striker.

In terms of Borges, though, Everton should do all they can to bring him in, especially if Gnonto ends up staying put at Leeds United, giving Sean Dyche more options in attack and bringing much-needed positivity to the fanbase, at a time when it arguably feels at a real low point.

Celtic are plotting a summer swoop to sign Newcastle United forward Ryan Fraser, and a new report has revealed the club’s chances of bringing him to the Scottish Premiership.

Where was Ryan Fraser born?

Fraser was born in Aberdeen where he spent the early years of his career before moving to England to carry out spells at Bournemouth, Ipswich Town and finally Newcastle who he joined on a free transfer back in 2020, as per Transfermarkt, but despite having been at the club for three years, he could be on his way before the end of the ongoing window.

In the Premier League last season, the left-winger made just three starts and five substitute appearances across the whole of the campaign, via WhoScored, showing not only how out of favour he is but indicating that he may have to complete a move elsewhere should he want to receive more regular game time going forward.

The Scotland international still has another two years remaining on his contract in the northeast, so it mmay take some kind of fee to prise him away, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for Brendan Rodgers who has set his sights on the attacker, though it’s not the first time he’s been linked with a switch to Parkhead.

Back in 2020, The Telegraph credited the Hoops with an interest in the 29-year-old before he finalised his move to St. James’ Park, so having already missed out on their target once, chiefs appear to be taking a second bite of the cherry in the hope of a more successful outcome this time around.

Are Celtic signing Ryan Fraser?

According to The Northern Echo, Celtic are “lining up a move” for Fraser in the final weeks of the window. The Glasgow outfit are “ready to make a formal approach” for the unwanted forward who has been “identified” by Rodgers as a “viable target” with the boss looking to bolster his ranks with another winger.

Newcastle are “unlikely to demand a significant transfer fee” because they want to get him off their books and wage bill having already demoted him to training with the development squad, not to mention that his number 21 shirt has been taken by their new signing Tino Livramento, so this is definitely one to keep a close eye on.

How much does Ryan Fraser earn?

At Newcastle, Fraser currently pockets £42k-per-week which he clearly isn’t earning considering that he’s been excluded from the first team fold, but he’s still got so much potential to offer so that could all change should he decide to put pen to paper at Celtic.

The Wasserman Client has posted 86 goal contributions (52 assists and 34 goals) since the start of his career which has previously seen him dubbed a “threat” to the opposition’s defence in the final third by journalist Josh Bunting, but he is also capable of playing in several other roles over the pitch.

Sponsored by Nike, Fraser is a versatile operator having been deployed in an incredible nine different positions since first bursting onto the professional scene, including three up top, four in the midfield and even two in defence, so for a player who really could cover every blade of grass should you ask him to adapt, he could be a fantastic bargain for Rodgers.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details (Viewers in the Indian subcontinent can watch highlights of the Test here)The entire third day of the Newlands Test was lost to rain, although there might not have been too many people complaining as a result considering Cape Town is in the middle of a severe drought. The showers began on Saturday night and returned in full force in the morning. There were a brief few moments after lunch when it seemed like play could have been possible, but even as the groundsmen were preparing to peel the covers off, the weather turned.Days four and five will now feature 98 overs each, but play will begin at the usual time of 1030 local. At present, South Africa are 65 for 2 – leading India by 142 runs – with Hashim Amla on 4 and nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada on 2 at the crease.

More than half a million viewers tuned in to watch the third women’s Ashes ODI on television, in the strongest sign yet of what Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland has called the game’s “single most significant growth opportunity”.The audience for the third ODI, won by England at Coffs Harbour on Sunday October 29, peaked at a national audience of 512,568 on the Nine network’s main channel during the afternoon session, with an average of 312,787, after programmers chose to move the match from the digital channel 9Gem, where the first match of the series attracted a peak afternoon audience of 281,394.In a telling reminder of the importance of free-to-air deals to expand cricket’s audience, the peak figure was greater than the 467,000 viewers recorded nationally across Britain for Sky’s coverage of the final day of the first men’s Ashes Test in Cardiff in 2015.At the same time, it provided further evidence for CA to press ahead with plans to make October a month for standalone women’s fixtures, such as the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in 2020 and also the Women’s Big Bash League, which is under consideration for movement to a separate time slot from the men’s tournament that takes place in December and January.”Cricket is an incredibly popular sport – but the sports and entertainment market is extremely competitive and changing all the time. To ensure cricket’s sustainable future as a mainstream sport, we can’t afford to take anything for granted,” Sutherland told ESPNcricinfo. “We strongly believe that growing cricket as a sport of choice for women and girls is our game’s single most significant growth opportunity. It is an extremely important initiative within our recently adopted five-year strategic plan.”In recent seasons we have seen the WBBL played in front of large crowds and drawing strong TV audiences on Network Ten. The competition is the best women’s league in the world. For us domestically, it not only provides clarity on the pathway to our national team, but exposes the tremendous depth of female talent in this country. We will continue to explore our scheduling to enable our women’s matches to attract the highest possible levels of fan support.”Earlier this year, the ICC approved our request to separate the Women’s World T20 event from the men’s – and so the women’s event to be played in February-March 2020 will precede the men’s event which will be in October-November. Just as we have with the World T20, we are looking to find discreet windows in the calendar where we can promote the women’s game so as to attract ever higher audiences at match and on TV.”Entering into CA’s next round of domestic broadcast rights negotiations, the television pulling-power of the women’s game is a significant change in the value of any prospective deals, much as the creation of the BBL in 2011 impacted on the 2013 contracts signed with Nine and Ten.The purchase of the BBL rights by Ten in 2013 for about A$20 million a season over five years was considered a gamble at the time, but the tournament’s consistently strong broadcast audiences have now raised estimates of the tournaments rights value to as much as three times that amount. Just as CA was able to convince broadcasters that domestic cricket could be a viable option for free-to-air television, the governing body is now hopeful of doing likewise with the women’s game.”Following on from the hugely successful World Cup in England, we are seeing women’s cricket continue grow in popularity and we are delighted to see cricket fans’ appreciation of the women’s game reflected in ever increasing crowds and TV audiences,” Sutherland said. “The Nine Network’s broadcast of the ODI series has been outstanding, and to see the final ODI match televised on the main channel attracting a very significant audience was further indication of the growing appetite for the women’s game.”It is especially pleasing to see our Australian team attracting the support they have during this women’s Ashes series. This public support has been reflected in the exceptional media coverage including the outstanding access through the free-to-air broadcast on Nine.”At the same time, strong television audiences are likely to aid CA in another goal – that of growing female participation numbers of in the game. “In the short term for the rest of this summer, we’re all about providing the platform to ensure we keep pushing the fantastic story of this squad and their performances in the Ashes,” Sutherland said.”There is no doubt that their feats and growing profile is inspiring the next generation of girls to play and love cricket. Female participation numbers will be up strongly again this year, with huge growth expected in the number of girls teams at school and club level.”

Group D round-up: Bengal openers lay strong platform against Chhattisgarh while Himachal control proceedings over Goa

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2017

Vidarbha’s medium pacers shot out Punjab for 161 despite Abhishek Gupta’s 89 at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. Punjab were already in doldrums when Gupta arrived, at 33 for 4. But he single-handedly fought, making close to 70 percent of the runs his team during his stay. Lalit Yadav and Siddesh Neral snared three each, while Rajneesh Gurbani and the left-arm spinner Akshay Karnewar shared the rest equally. Vidarbha lost their captain Faiz Fazal for 21 in reply, before Sanjay Ramaswamy’s unbeaten half-century and Wasim Jaffer (22*) took them to 106 for 1 at stumps.Medium pacer Pankaj Jaiswal ran through the core of Goa’s batting as they were dismissed for 255 on the opening day against Himachal Pradesh in Dharamsala. In reply, Himachal were 2 for no loss at stumps.Jaiswal troubled Goa early, sending back their openers, Sumiran Amonkar and Swapnil Asnodkar, before accounting for Amogh Desai and Reagan Pinto, their Nos. 4 and 5. Goa’s batsmen paid the price for throwing away starts, with as many as five of them scoring between 20 and 40. That they crossed 200 was down to an unbeaten 55 from the No. 10 Rituraj Singh. Jaiswal was supported well, with Sumeet Verma grabbing three wickets, Rishi Dhawan scalping two and Gurvinder Singh getting one.Bengal’s openers Abhishek Raman and Koushik Ghosh set the template for their dominance on the opening day against Chhattisgarh with a 159-run partnership. Bengal ended the day on 283 for 2, with Raman dismissed for 94 and Ghosh run out for 114. Sudip Chatterjee (58*), who added 98 with Ghosh for the second wicket, and Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal captain, were unbeaten at the crease when stumps were called.

Lionel Scaloni's hint that he could quit his job as Argentina boss came after a tense episode with Lionel Messi in World Cup qualifying.

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• Scaloni has hinted at Argentina exit
• Clashed with Messi before Brazil win
• Real Madrid have made approach

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Scaloni admitted he was considering his future after Argentina's victory over Brazil in World Cup qualifying in November. The Argentina boss has grown "tired" of the "sideshow" that accompanies the national team and had also experienced "tension" with Messi ahead of the match with Brazil, according to . Violence broke out before kick-off, which saw Messi lead his team-mates off the pitch and back into the dressing room – a decision the captain made "without consulting" Scaloni and which had "agitated" the Argentina boss and his coaching staff.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Scaloni led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 in Qatar, with Messi finally winning the one trophy that had eluded him for so long. The win was the first time Argentina had been crowned world champions since Diego Maradona inspired his nation to victory in 1986 and was greeted by jubilant scenes back home. Argentina extended Scaloni's contract to 2026 after the victory, although it remains to be seen if he will see it out.

• JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images
  

  WHAT SCALONI HAS SAID

  “Argentina needs a coach who has all the energy possible, and who is well,” he said after the win over Brazil. “I need to stop the ball and start thinking, I have a lot of things to think about during this time.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SCALONI?

  Scaloni's future appears to be up in the air, with suggestions he could step down after the 2024 Copa America. Real Madrid have reportedly opened talks with Scaloni about the possibility of replacing Carlo Ancelotti at the end of the season. The Madrid coach has been tipped to leave the club and take over as Brazil boss next year.

Shakhtar Donetsk could take legal action against Tottenham Hotspur over their deal to sign Manor Solomon a free transfer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest on Solomon?

Having already brought James Maddison through the door, as well as signing Dejan Kulusevski permanently from Juventus, Tottenham are ready to add another attacker to their forward line.

Seemingly, this will be Manor Solomon, who spent last season on loan at Fulham from Shakhtar Donetsk. The left-winger managed 24 appearances, scoring five times, but also missed a large chunk of the season after undergoing knee surgery.

Due to the conflict in Ukraine, FIFA introduced a ruling last summer that enabled foreign players who played in the country to leave their domestic clubs for free, something that was criticised by those involved in Ukrainian football.

This ruling is also influencing this summer's transfer market, with Spurs able to acquire Solomon from Shakhtar on a free transfer, despite the fact that the Israel international's deal does not officially expire until December 2023.

Shakhtar's chief executive Sergei Palkin has already threatened Tottenham with legal action over their pursuit of Solomon, telling ESPN:

"Finally, where he will go, I don't know. In any case, if you go to Tottenham, we will deal with Tottenham in court in this case. Everything comes to a simple situation: it sounds like unjust enrichment.

"Can you imagine, we pay big money for this player and finally Tottenham receives him for free? It is not fair in respect of our club. We will definitely go to court and we will fight for ourselves."

With Solomon expected to complete his medical at Spurs this week, Fabrizio Romano is still unsure on if the deal will be completed, or what will happen in terms of legal action.

What did Romano say?

Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Romano said: "For Tottenham, exclusive news that I am tweeting right now is about Manor Solomon, who had a fantastic season at Fulham last year, did very well on loan to Fulham.

"Then what happened, he formally returned to Shakhtar Donetsk from Fulham, but the reality is that because of FIFA rules all the players returning to Shakhtar Donetsk could be available for free. Then what happens in some cases is that you can negotiate, in other cases you need to find a different kind of solution."

He continued: "In this case, Manor Solomon has an agreement with Tottenham on the contract. He will be in England next week to have his medical test, it will be early [this] next week. So, Manor Solomon has his medical booked in London to become a new Tottenham player.

"Then Shakhtar CEO, Palkin, a few weeks ago said if Tottenham complete this deal we are prepared to fight in court this Solomon story because we can't allow the player, who is worth probably £30m or £40m, to go to Tottenham for free. So, we are prepared to go to court for this story.

"So, let's see how this evolves because it is about rules, guys, it's not about transfers. It's not a normal transfer."

Whether or not the deal will be finalised remains to be seen as it may be a decision that is made in a courtroom rather than a boardroom.

One thing is for certain, if Solomon arrives in north London on a free transfer then it would be a very smart piece of business from a Spurs perspective.

Ange Postecoglou is seeing his new side do some encouraging early business in this summer's transfer window which will surely excite the Australian ahead of their pre-season tour.

There was clearly a lot of room for improvement on the back of last season, so it will be interesting to see whether this transfer activity is to continue over the coming weeks.

Pakistan’s bowling attack has been frayed by injuries throughout the tournament but captain Sarfraz Ahmed is hoping everyone will be fully fit for Sunday’s final

Andrew McGlashan in Cardiff 14-Jun-2017

Sarfraz Ahmed was hopeful of having a fully fit Pakistan bowling attack for the Champions Trophy final after an accumulation of injuries piled up before and during Wednesday’s semi-final. Mohammad Amir was ruled out of the semi-final with a back spasm while Hasan Ali and Imad Wasim picked up niggles in the field during the eight-wicket win against England.Hasan, who stands as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 10 scalps after his 3 for 35 in Cardiff, suffered a shin problem while Imad tweaked a calf. They followed Amir having failed a fitness test shortly before the toss after being given an injection to try and overcome the back spasm.It could have been a major blow to Pakistan, but they barely felt his absence. Debutant Rumman Raees claimed 2 for 44 and the recalled Shadab Khan nabbed the key wicket of Joe Root as a collective display from the bowlers shackled an England batting lineup renowned for its destructive capabilities.Sarfraz did admit, though, that it would be a boost to have Amir when they face either India or Bangladesh at The Oval. Having played in the first semi-final it means he has an additional day to get healthy before Sunday’s final.”Hopefully, he will recover for the finals,” Sarfraz said. “Obviously, he’s our main bowler. He’s our best strike bowler.”Amir may be considered the main strike bowler, but Hasan has consistently been the pick of the attack and can lay claim to being the bowler of the tournament. Before the final group match against Sri Lanka, Mickey Arthur had called Hasan one of the “beacons” of this Pakistan side and they were sentiments echoed by Sarfraz who praised the youngsters that have come good.”I think he has a little bit of a shin problem, but he’s okay and bowling extremely well for us,” Sarfraz said. “I’m very happy about my youngsters performing, especially Hasan who is improving day-by-day, Shadab has also and now Fakhar Zaman, he’s playing in his third match and now he’s batting just like a champion batsman.”You cannot overstate how well they’ve done. We must give credit to the selection committee for selecting these players from the domestic circuit and their performances in the PSL. But even more credit goes to these boys who came into the team under such extreme pressure… Rumman played unexpectedly today but did well. This bodes well for Pakistan cricket’s future, since all the young guys that come in perform.”Fakhar has been especially important in helping give Pakistan the rapid starts that have previously eluded them. Although a significant collapse followed against Sri Lanka, which almost cost them a semi-final spot, there were no such alarms against England. His opening partner, Azhar Ali, said Fakhar’s freedom alongside him has made a huge difference.”You are always comfortable with a partner who goes hard up front,” Azhar said. “You can take a breather at the other end. The attention of the teams is to stop him and you get comfortable time at the other end so I’m really enjoying batting with him. He’s making the most of his good form.”It wasn’t a faultless performance in the field with a couple of catches going down in the first half of England’s innings, although they were long forgotten by the end as Fakhar pulled off a stunning catch at deep square to remove Moeen Ali and substitute Ahmed Shehzad ran out Adil Rashid with a direct hit. Match-by-match Pakistan’s game has come together after the hammering they took in their first match of the tournament against India.”After the first loss we are very down, but credit goes to the team management,” Sarfraz said. “They boosted us really well and credit goes to the players as well. They were very motivated. And after that match we have bowled well, fielded well and today the batting clicked as well.”On the prospect of a rematch with India in the final, Sarfraz smiled and said: “Best of luck to both of them. May the better team win.”

Mikel Arteta's side picked up a first win at Goodison Park since 2017 thanks to a second-half strike from Leandro Trossard.

Leandro Trossard staked his claim for a place in the starting XI at Arsenal after coming off the bench to score the winner for the Gunners at Goodison Park.

The Gunners did find the back of the net in the first half through Gabriel Martinelli, but the Brazilian's effort was ruled out for offside and he was then forced off injured and replaced by Trossard.

Mikel Arteta's side made hard work of breaking down Everton until a flowing move in the second half involving Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka was finished off by Trossard in spectacular fashion to secure all three points.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Goodison Park…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

David Raya (5/10):

Handed a surprise Arsenal debut in place of Aaron Ramsdale and had very little to do. A virtual spectator such was Everton's lack of attacking threat.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (8/10):

Lively showing from the Ukraine international, who was one of Arsenal's better performers. Was good on the ball and ventured further forwards in the second half in a bid to help his side break the deadlock.

William Saliba (7/10):

Easy on the eye and simply looked a cut above all game. Barely put a foot wrong and handled Beto well.

Ben White (6/10):

Saw plenty of the ball but was never really troubled at the back – albeit against a timid Everton side.

Gabriel (6/10):

Booked for blocking off Beto's run but no other problems defensively.

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Declan Rice (7/10):

Took control of the midfield and it's difficult to remember a misplaced pass. Was part of a lovely passing sequence that led to the only goal of the game.

Martin Odegaard (7/10):

Will probably feel aggrieved not to have been on the scoresheet after twice being denied by Jordan Pickford. Played a key role in the goal and his usual influential presence in midifeld.

Bukayo Saka (7/10):

Not his best game for Arsenal at all, and came in for some heavy tackles, but was effective yet again by picking up another assist.

GettyAttack

Fabio Vieira (8/10)

Came into the team in place of Kai Havertz and impressed with some clever passing. Slid a lovely ball through to Martinelli but the goal was ruled out. Also created chances for Saka and Odegaard.

Eddie Nketiah (4/10)

Kept his place in the starting XI ahead of Gabriel Jesus but never looked like scoring. No surprise to see him replaced by the Brazilian with the scoreline still goalless.

Gabriel Martinelli (6/10)

Thought he had opened the scoring after applying a Thierry Henry-esque finish to Fabio Vieira's fine pass. Picked up an injury minutes later and was forced off.

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Leandro Trossard (7/10):

Came on midway through the first half after an injury to Martinelli and was pretty quiet until he broke the deadlock with a great finish from Saka's cross.

Gabriel Jesus (5/10):

Replaced Nketiah on 65 minutes with Arsenal desperate for more threat. The Brazilian loves scoring against Everton but had few chances to add to his tally here.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (5/10):

Sent on late to help close the game out.

Kai Havertz (5/10):

Given the last 10 minutes but no real time to make an impact.

Mikel Arteta (6/10):

Made changes to his team, most notably in goal, but saw his team struggle to break down a dogged Everton side. His decision to start Vieira was a good one with the midfielder enjoying some lively moments but it needed something special from Trossard to secure the three points.