Stoke City – Everton Football

Thursday 28th November 2013 15:50@Everton

Gerard Deulofeu’s virtuoso performance inspired Everton to a 4-0 victory over Stoke.

The teenage winger on loan from Barcelona was at the centre of almost all the Blues’ best attacking moves and scored the first goal just before half time.

He then emerged after the break to set up the key second goal which was finished by Seamus Coleman.

Then Bryan Oviedo put gloss on the scoreline with an excellent second half strike before setting up Romelu Lukaku for the fourth goal to help allay any fears over the absence of Leighton Baines.

Having had to wait for his first league start since switching from Barcelona on loan, Deulofeu wasted no time in trying to make his mark.

Deulofeu rams in the first goal

A third minute free-kick from tested Asmir Begovic low to his right and set the tone for a first half battle between the Blues winger and the Potters custodian.

On the quarter hour Deulofeu unleashed a succession of stopovers before testing the keeper with a low drive from an acute angle that took a deflection on the way towards goal.

James McCarthy’s curling left-foot effort was narrowly wide following a nice one-two with Romelu Lukaku but then it was back over to Deulofeu.

Midway through the half an inventive corner routine finally allowed him to chip a ball to the far post where Erik Pieters had to clear from under his own bar with Phil Jagielka poised to head into an empty net.

The little Spaniard celebrates in style

Another cross required a back-pedalling Begovic to tip the ball over his bar and Deulofeu then side footed over seven minutes before the break after an Everton counter.

It was only after Lukaku had headed Oviedo’s cross wide in the 40th minute that Stoke had their first and only shot of the half.

Jon Walters was well positioned in the box but his low volley was straight at Tim Howard.

A goal was what Everton deserved for their exertions and it duly arrived in the final minute of the half.

Deulofeu had switched to the left flank and it allowed him to cut infield, exchange passes – first with Steven Pienaar and then with Gareth Barry – and then finish powerfully with his left foot for his first Premier League goal.

The showing gets the thumbs up from Roberto Martinez The effervescent trickster was at it again after the break when he set up the second goal.

Less than four minutes of the second period had passed when McCarthy sent the Spaniard racing down the left, he bided his time before picking out Barry who somehow smuggled the ball on for Coleman to finish expertly without breaking stride.

It could have been even better for Deulofeu not long after when he ran two thirds of the pitch only to be foiled by Begovic, with the teenager having opted to stay on his feet when challenged from behind in the box by Glenn Whelan.

Everton were 3-0 up in the 58th minute as another player made the most of the opportunity handed to them by Martinez. Oviedo was in the side for the injured Baines and emphasised his quality by ghosting past Charlie Adam and rifling home with his unfavoured right foot from 20 yards on 58 minutes.

Pienaar surges forward

The third goal spurred Stoke and Howard saved well from Peter Crouch – but Pienaar could have made it four were it not for a last ditch block.

With just over a quarter of an hour left Martinez switched to three at the back as John Stones replaced McCarthy, who remains a booking away from a ban.

But Everton adapted seamlessly to the switch and Oviedo – now operating as a wing-back – flew down the left to set up a tap in for Lukaku to continue his scoring spree and complete the victory.