Everton player ratings: five score 7/10 but one 5/10 in Sporting CP victory

Everton’s final dress rehersal ahead of the 2023-24 Premier League season ended with a 1-0 victory over Sporting CP at Goodison Park.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin bagged the only goal in first-half stoppage-time as the Toffees ensured that they ended their pre-season campaign with an unbeaten record.

Sporting created the first real chance of the game in the 12th minute when the ball was cut back to Pedro Goncalves but he whipped his shot over the crossbar.

Everton launched a decent attack of their own only moments later but Alex Iwobi saw his effort blocked by a visiting defender. Then two minutes later, Sporting’s radar was again off taret as Geny Catamo couldn’t keep a shot down.

The Portuguese outfit spurned the biggest opportunity of the game to that point on 33 minutes. Viktor Gyokeres - linked with the Blues during the summer - slipped in Goncalves but his tame effort was easily gathered by home keeper Jordan Pickford.

Everton had a chance to punish Sporting’s profligacy in the next breakaway. Iwobi’s cross picked out Abdoulaye Doucoure but his volley was well saved by Antonio Adan before Dominic Calvert-Lewin reacted first to the rebound but his header was also thwarted by the Sporting goalkeeper.

In a frenetic period, Gyokeres should have then put the Lions when a cross picked out Gyokeres but his header was straight at Pickford.

Then on the stroke of half-time, Everton were gifted a chance to break the deadlock. Doucoure’s shot was adjudged to have hit the arm of Sporting defender Eduardo Quaresma, with the referee points to the penalty spot. Calvert-Lewin stepped up and finished the spot-kick with aplomb.

That was to be Calvert-Lewin’s last contribution as he was replaced by Neal Maupay at half-time. And on 49 minutes, the Frenchman nodded when perhaps he should have left the ball for James Garner who was arriving behind.

Clear-cut openings were few and far between as the pace of the game declined. But with 16 minutes remaining, Amadou Onana played a one-two with Iwobi on the edge of the area but curling an effort onto the post.

Sporting would then be denied by the woodwork seven minutes later when that man Goncalves steered an effort against the bar.

Yet Everton held on for a win - which was their fourth of the summer from six games. Now all attention turns to the serious stuff as the Blues welcome Fulham in their Premier League curtain-raiser next week.

Here’s how the Everton players rated.