Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s late strike helped Everton reach the Europa League play-offs.

The young forward put the Blues’ name into Friday’s draw when he swept home a close-range finish past Ruzomberok’s Matus Macik in the 80th minute.

Ronald Koeman’s side had clung onto Leighton Baines’ first leg winner for large parts of their encounter before Calvert-Lewin struck just 10 minutes from time.

Here were the key talking points from Slovakia:

Three at the back is here to stay

 

This was not the first time that Ronald Koeman has employed three at the back for Everton and it is unlikely to be the last either.

The Dutchman previously deployed the formation with varying degrees of success but appears that he is determined to repeat the sequence this season.

With a current lack of wide options within the squad, it is highly likely that the system could become Koeman’s preferred choice for much of the new campaign.

It is a more comfortable fit for the options presently at the Everton manager’s disposal, even if the Goodison Park crowd will require some convincing.

Steady start for Pickford

 

Pressure will mount on Jordan Pickford to prove that Everton were right to make him the third-most expensive goalkeeper of all time this summer.

Granted, he will face sterner tests than Ruzomberok posed on his debut but on the evidence provided so far, Koeman can be happy with the stopper’s purchase.

Pickford proved an assuring presence up against the Slovakians’ aerial threat, remaining calm and collected when called upon elsewhere.

He also distributed the ball with the kind of quality that was sadly lacking from the majority of Everton’s outfield players at the Stadion pod Cebraťom.

As with all young goalkeepers, there will be ups as well as downs in the year to come but Pickford has plenty of positives in a solid start to life with the Toffees.

Sigurdsson can’t sign quick enough

 

Gylfi Sigurdsson could conceivably become an Everton player on Friday.

For many that will not have been soon enough with a lack of creative midfielder proving problematic for a number of years, not least in Slovakia.

With Idrissa Gana Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin in central midfield and Davy Klaassen just beyond the pair in the no.10 role, they lacked a creative spark.

It proved frustrating for both Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez as they often found themselves either isolated or forced simply to rely on a limited supply.

Fortunately the protracted move for Sigurdsson looks set to be completed by the end of this weekend and promises to be exactly what this team now requires.

Time will tell if he is truly worth £50 million but if he can inject the quality that Everton currently lack in the final third, it could end up being money well spent.

Calvert-Lewin proves a point

 

In an adequate display, there were few stand-out performances.

But Dominic Calvert-Lewin is one player who can emerge pleased with his own efforts.

After replacing Sandro midway through the second half, the 20-year-old took his chance superbly and ultimately sealed his team’s progression to the next round.

Beyond that, his all-round performance demonstrated he is a far more dangerous proposition when deployed in a natural centre-forward role than when utilised out wide.

That is something Koeman would do well to remember moving forward, given a dearth of forward options following Romelu Lukaku’s move to Manchester United.