Everton 1-2 Burnley: Dwight McNeil hits stunning winner for visitors

Dwight McNeil scored his seventh Premier League goal but his first away from Turf Moor

Burnley manager Sean Dyche said Dwight McNeil is "an exceptional talent" after the England U21 winger's stunning strike helped Burnley boost their Premier League survival hopes at the expense of top four-hopefuls Everton at Goodison Park.

McNeil turned sharply to beat Allan before curling expertly into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area to make it 2-0, after Chris Wood's fine finish with Burnley's first shot gave the visitors a 13th-minute lead.

The visitors had a penalty claim dismissed after the ball struck Ben Godfrey's arm in an aerial challenge with Ben Mee prior to McNeil's goal, and they were almost out of sight before half-time but Johann Gudmundsson's low effort hit the post.

An entertaining first half took another twist as Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed in Tom Davies' cross to halve the deficit.

There was, however, a further setback for manager Carlo Ancelotti when England number one Jordan Pickford eventually had to be replaced after sustaining an injury in attempting to save Gudmundsson's earlier attempt.

Everton emerged from half-time determined to quickly restore parity, but Calvert-Lewin mistimed his header from Lucas Digne's cross, while Burnley's Matej Vydra was unable to capitalise on a couple of good opportunities to seal the points.

Dyche's side remain 15th but they are now seven points clear of the bottom three, while defeat leaves Everton five points adrift of the Champions League positions.

"I was really pleased. The defensive shape was good against tricky opposition," said Dyche. "Every time we pressed them properly and nicked the ball I thought we looked a threat.

"I thought virtually every time we went forward we could score."

• Follow live text coverage of Saturday's Premier League action

• Jordan Pickford doubt for England World Cup qualifiers

McNeil delivers as Burnley near safety

Burnley had failed to score in a league-high eight away games this season, and prior to kick-off at Goodison only bottom side Sheffield United had scored fewer goals than Sean Dyche's side.

But the Clarets made a sensational start against Everton, with McNeil's sublime finish the obvious highlight of an impressive first half for the visitors on Merseyside.

McNeil's instinctive change of direction caught Allan flat-footed, before the 21-year curled his left-foot shot spectacularly into the corner.

It was only his second goal of the season - matching his tally from 2019-20 - and such a display of quality in an all-round impressive performance raises questions as to why his output is not greater.

It was no less than Burnley deserved for an uncharacteristically front-foot approach against top-four chasing opposition, and it was helped in no small part by the industry of midfield pair Josh Brownhill and Ashley Westwood.

Brownhill robbed Davies of possession to set his side away for Wood's opener and the former Bristol City player won the ball back for his side more times than any player from either side.

Dyche's side increasingly relied on the defensive solidity that has been the backbone of their current five-year stay in the top-flight in the second half, but the Clarets will believe they have more than enough to avoid a relegation scrap following this excellent result.

Everton's home woes continue

Had Everton's home form come close to matching their away returns this season, Carlo Ancelotti's side would have their Champions League aspirations firmly in their own hands.

Instead, in the absence of their home support, only the bottom five sides have fared worse at home than the Toffees, who have suffered seven of their 10 league defeats at Goodison this campaign.

The two goals conceded on Saturday also saw Everton eclipse their total goals conceded at home in the past two seasons, with five home games and 10 in total still to play.

With fourth-placed Chelsea held by Leeds earlier on Saturday, the hosts began determined to capitalise, as Richarlison forced Nick Pope into action with a stinging shot after three minutes.

The in-form Brazilian, who had scored in four successive matches prior to Monday's 2-0 defeat by Chelsea, continued to prove the catalyst for Everton in the final third, though it was Davies' inviting ball that allowed Calvert-Lewin to net his 14th league goal of the season - eclipsing his best previous top-flight tally.

But in the absence of James Rodriguez and the benched Gylfi Sigurdsson, Everton struggled to create clear-cut chances and managed just one shot on target in their pursuit of a second-half equaliser.

"We had a bad start, we made mistakes and were punished," Everton boss Ancelotti told BBC Sport. "After that it was difficult to get back in the game because we didn't show the quality that was necessary.

"It's a big disappointment but we don't have to give up. There are still 10 games in the Premier League and we have to fight until the end. It's difficult to explain [our home record], but of course it's not good enough. We've got a lot of points away and that's a reason we're still in the fight [for Europe], but we have to do better at home."

Burnley's rare Merseyside double - the stats

• Only Liverpool (six) have lost more home Premier League games since the turn of the year than Everton (five), indeed the Toffees have lost five of their last seven at Goodison Park - as many defeats as in their previous 23 home league matches.

• Burnley won away games against both Everton and Liverpool in a single league season for the first time.

• Chris Wood's opener was his 40th Premier League goal for Burnley. He's the second player to reach that tally for the club in the competition, after Ashley Barnes.

• Dwight McNeil has scored four Premier League goals from outside the box - the most of any Burnley player in the competition.

• Dominic Calvert-Lewin's 14 Premier League goals this season are the most by an Englishman for the Toffees in a Premier League campaign since Tony Cottee in 1993-94 (16).

• Calvert-Lewin has scored more headed goals than any other player in the Premier League this season (six).

What's next?

Everton face Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday at 17:30 GMT.

Burnley return to action against Southampton following the international break, on Saturday, 3 April.

• Radio 1's Motivate Me Mix: Dermot Kennedy's favourite feel good tracks

• Completing an epic challenge: 'My lowest point? When I had to pull out my own teeth'