Lucas Digne spared Everton’s blushes with a late equaliser against Watford.

Richarlison had opened the scoring after 15 minutes when he rounded off a brilliant Blues’ counter attack started by Theo Walcott and Seamus Coleman.

But the visitors struck back in the second half with two quick-fire goals, first when a Roberto Pereya shot rebounded off Coleman and into the net.

The Hornets went ahead as Abdoulaye Doucore rose unchallenged to head home a Pereya cross to threaten to condemn Marco Silva to defeat against his old club.

Gylfi Sigurdsson had a chance to level the score just minutes later when Everton were awarded a penalty for Christian Kabasele’s push on Yerry Mina in the area.

However the Icelandic playmaker’s effort in the middle of the goal cannoned back off Ben Foster’s legs when the Watford stopper had dived to his right.m

In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Digne stepped up to curl home a 20-yard free kick to earn a point from a second half that had run away from Everton.

Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:

Digne adds new string to Baines’ bow

 

Usurping Leighton Baines is still failing to faze Lucas Digne.

Not only has the France international made the left-back slot his own since arriving from Barcelona but is also claiming some of Baines’ other hallmarks.

His sweetly-struck free kick from 20 yards in the final minute of stoppage time spared the Blues a humbling at home against Marco Silva’s former employers.

More than that, though, Digne confirmed himself as Baines’ capable successor on set pieces, with the soon-to-be 34-year-old’s record speaking for itself.

Everton needed a moment of dead-ball brilliance to salvage a point; something that often fell on the former England defender’s shoulders.

Maybe Digne could assume Baines’ penalty-taking duties, too, after Gylfi Sigurdsson’s missed spot kick early into the second half.

Silva must change up stale attack

 

Sigurdsson was not the only Everton player toiling in attack.

The Icelandic playmaker’s penalty miss will invariably generate headlnes but questions are still being asked of Theo Walcott’s continuing presence.

It was telling that the former Arsenal man was sacrificed in favour of Ademola Lookman midway through the second half of the recent Merseyside derby defeat.

Ultimately, Lookman’s chance to shine came and went in the following game against Newcastle but maybe Marco Silva should have taken the original hint.

Walcott is no closer to recapturing the form which won over doubters early in his Everton career and the signs are that little has changed in the past few weeks.

Familiar failings in Blues’ defence

 

Stealing the spotlight came naturally to Digne. His defensive cohorts, however, could not withstand the scrutiny of a febrile Watford forward line.

Gracia’s players hounded the Everton back line from the outset and their half-time deficit never appeared likely to last long in truth on this evidence.

Silva should be concerned by how Michael Keane and Yerry Mina failed to cope with a combined threat of Roberto Pereya, Isaac Success and Troy Deeney.

One bad performance will not constitute a demise of the Everton manager’s tactical revolution but a trip to Manchester City does not bode well after this.

Richarlison, Watford and might’ve been

 

There was never going to be any love lost between Watford fans and Silva.

But they could be forgiven for wondering about how different life may have turned out with another who traded Hertfordshire for Merseyside this summer.

Richarlison continued an already prolific run for Everton with his opener taking the versatile Brazilian up to eight Premier League goals for the season.

Javi Gracia joked post-match that it was the first time the 21-year-old had scored in his presence after drawing a blank in all 15 of his outings under the Spaniard.

What might have been, eh?