Sport nationEverton manager Sean Dyche has slammed his player Vitaliy Mykolenko for his “lazy” challenge that led to a penalty being awarded to Manchester City in their recent Premier League match. The penalty was saved by Jordan Pickford, but Dyche was not impressed with Mykolenko’s actions.
Speaking to Amazon Prime after the game, Dyche said: “It is a penalty, Pep [Guardiola] said it was, to be fair, on the sidelines. I’ve got no qualms with that. That’s the way it goes, but we didn’t start as brightly. It’s a lazy one, that one. And he’s a very good defender, Myko, and he’s been in really good form the last few games so I’m not going to question it.”
Dyche’s comments suggest that Mykolenko’s challenge was not just a mistake, but a lack of effort and concentration. The Ukrainian defender has been in good form for Everton recently, but his lazy challenge against Manchester City could have cost his team dearly.
The result was a 1-1 draw, with Iliman Ndiaye scoring a stunning goal for Everton. However, Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji felt that his team deserved more than a point from the game.
“I don’t think so, no [a fair result],” Akanji said. “I think we did way more for the game. We created lots of chances, unfortunately we were only able to score one goal and we conceded one out of nothing but that is how football is.”
Akanji’s comments suggest that Manchester City felt they were the better team and deserved to win the game. However, Everton’s resilience and determination earned them a valuable point.
The draw against Manchester City is a positive result for Everton, who have been showing signs of improvement in recent weeks. However, Dyche’s comments about Mykolenko’s lazy challenge suggest that there is still work to be done to ensure that the team is performing at its best.
As the January transfer window approaches, Everton may be looking to strengthen their squad and address any weaknesses. Mykolenko’s lazy challenge against Manchester City may have highlighted the need for an upgrade at left-back.
Everton’s recent performances have been encouraging, with the team showing a newfound sense of resilience and determination. However, Dyche will be aware that there is still room for improvement, and that the team needs to be more consistent if they are to achieve their goals.
The draw against Manchester City was a positive result for Everton, but Dyche will be keen to ensure that his team builds on this performance and continues to improve in the coming weeks.
In terms of Mykolenko’s future at Everton, it remains to be seen whether Dyche will consider dropping him from the starting lineup. The Ukrainian defender has been a regular starter for Everton this season, but his lazy challenge against Manchester City may have raised some doubts about his reliability.
Overall, the draw against Manchester City was a positive result for Everton, but Dyche’s comments about Mykolenko’s lazy challenge suggest that there is still work to be done to ensure that the team is performing at its best. As the January transfer window approaches, Everton may be looking to strengthen their squad and address any weaknesses, and Mykolenko’s lazy challenge against Manchester City may have highlighted the need for an upgrade at left-back.
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