Swansea City held Everton to a goalless draw at the Liberty Stadium this afternoon as Kevin Mirallas was sent off just two minutes after entering the field in the second half.
Bafetimbi Gomis and Romelu Lukaku had the best chances of the encounter to score, but in the end, neither side could be separated in South Wales.
The major talking point was Mirallas's straight red card, which he was issued with in three minutes of stoppage time after catching Modou Barrow's ankle in a challenge for the ball.
Below, Sports Mole has assessed the action that unfolded at the Liberty Stadium this afternoon.
Match statistics
SWANSEA CITY
Shots: 12
On target: 3
Possession: 48%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 12
EVERTON
Shots: 17
On target: 2
Possession: 52%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 11
Was the result fair?
Looking at statistics alone, Everton should have won the game as they had more chances and more possession. It was a dull first half as neither side imposed much of a threat and the play got scrappy at times. Despite both sides priding themselves on attacking football, it was the teams defences that stood out in the first 45 minutes.
Swansea captain Ashley Williams and his Everton counterpart Phil Jagielka marshalled their respective back lines brilliantly, while John Stones impressed yet again, and proved to the Merseyside club why they were right to knock back Chelsea's four bids and keep hold of the centre-back.
The second half brightened up as Everton went on the attack to get something out of the game, and a number of chances, many of which fell to Romelu Lukaku, were squandered. The Swans had opportunities themselves, but it was a similar story as the final touch was missing.
SWANSEA CITY's performance
It was expected that the hosts would take the game to Everton, but they took time to find their rhythm and as mentioned, it was the defences of both teams who shone in the first half. Gomis had the best chance for his team in the first half as he grabbed onto a loose ball, which was given away by Gareth Barry. The forward was one-on-one with goalkeeper Tim Howard, but he dragged his shot wide and should have done much better.
Williams made a number of crucial clearances, including one off the line in the second half, for his side, and from his point of view, it would have been unfair to have left the stadium with nothing. It was a frustrating afternoon for Andre Ayew as his impressive goalscoring form in August has taken a downturn this month. It just wasn't Swansea's day.
EVERTON's performance
After hammering Chelsea 3-1 last weekend, the Toffees failed to continue that momentum at the Liberty Stadium, and there was a period in the first half when the visitors looked shaky in possession. Aside from then, the Merseyside outfit were the dominant side and created the most chances.
Having Jagielka and Stones at the back meant that the team felt comfortable to roam forward, and Ross Barkley played a role in most of Everton's attacks. The midfielder looked composed on the ball and delivered decent service to Lukaku, particularly in the second half. Steven Naismith got the nod to start following his hat-trick heroics against Chelsea, and while he delivered some decent movement and came close to scoring with a low drive, it just did not happen for the Scotsman.
The blow for Everton came inside three minutes of stoppage time when Mirallas was given a straight red card for digging into Barrow's ankle after trying to nick the ball in a challenge. It was a silly mistake from the Belgian, but there was no real indication that there was malicious intent from him when the foul occurred.
Sports Mole's man of the match
JOHN STONES: The defender managed to carry his mature performance against Chelsea into this afternoon's fixture as he produced a stellar display at the Liberty Stadium. With Jagielka by his side, the 21-year-old was able to push forward from the back numerous times in the match. His positioning was also on point and rarely was he caught out when one-on-one with an opponent.
Biggest gaffe
Considering the amount of opportunities that Everton created in the second half, Arouna Kone's missed chance is arguably one of the ones that the visitors would have rued. A fantastic cut-back from Barkley headed into Kone's path, and all he needed to do was get a touch and knock the ball into the back of the net. However. the forward could not get his feet right and the ball ended up going through his legs.
Referee performance
This afternoon's match is only the third Premier League game in as many years that Stuart Attwell has officiated. He administered four yellow cards, all of which were deemed appropriate, but the major decision was the red card that he issued to Mirallas. After getting word from the linesman, Attwell gave the Everton player a straight red for digging his foot into Barrow's ankle while trying to nick the ball. The action itself is worthy of a card, but whether Mirallas intended to do it is up for debate.
What next?
SWANSEA CITY: The Swans will take on Championship side Hull City in the Capital One Cup at the KC Stadium next Tuesday.
EVERTON: The Toffees will face Reading in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday evening at the Madejski Stadium.
Danielle Joynson
