Tuesday’s Everton News: Under-21s draw, Dewsbury-Hall profile, Everton Women reaction

Everton’s academy and women’s sides provided the headlines on Tuesday as the club’s Under-21s were denied a last-gasp victory and the women’s team extended their winning streak to three matches.

At Finch Farm on Monday night, Everton U21s appeared poised for a home triumph over Burnley U21s in Premier League 2, only for the visitors to snatch a dramatic equaliser in the ninth minute of stoppage time. The late goal left Paul Tait’s youngsters ruing two points dropped ahead of the international break.

Meanwhile, across Stanley Park at Goodison, Everton Women made it three wins on the spin with a 1-0 defeat of West Ham United. A second-half strike from Japanese international Honoka Hayashi proved enough to seal the points and lift interim boss Scott Phelan to his first victory on home soil. “It means everything,” Phelan told Yahoo Sports after the final whistle, underlining the importance of the result for both squad morale and the club’s ambitions this season.

Off the pitch, opinion pieces dominated the discourse. ToffeeWeb argued that Sean Dyche must find a way to maximise the impact of his bench, warning that over-reliance on a settled XI risks making Everton too predictable in the run-in. The 4th Official, meanwhile, labelled the retention of Iliman Ndiaye as potentially “the most important bit of business” Everton could conclude this summer, highlighting the attacker’s growing influence.

A retrospective debate also reignited over last summer’s transfer strategy. Four Four Two contended that the £11.5 million sale of Youssef Chermiti looks increasingly questionable after the striker hit a hat-trick at the weekend, suggesting patience rather than profit might have served the Toffees better.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Everton News pinpointed Bruno Fernandes as the primary threat for David Moyes’ side when Manchester United visit, citing the Portuguese midfielder’s prolific record against the Blues.

Elsewhere in Europe, the UEFA Champions League playoffs kicked off with Benfica hosting Real Madrid alongside three other ties, though Everton’s focus remains firmly on domestic matters as they seek momentum on multiple fronts.