Everton suffered back-to-back league defeats as Burnley ran out 2-1 winners.

Chris Wood gave the visitors an early lead when Dwight McNeil’s delivery was deflected into his path after Josh Brownhill had dispossessed Tom Davies.

McNeil doubled their advantage on 24 minutes by turning Allan and curling a sumptuous effort into the top right-hand corner of Jordan Pickford’s net.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side belatedly sparked into life and reduced the deficit as Dominic Calvert-Lewin converting Davies’ cross with a close-range header.

But the Blues’ fightback failed to produce a much-needed equaliser as they slipped five points off the pace for a Champions League qualification spot.

Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:

Euro demise is self-inflicted

 

If ever a game encapsulated why Everton are increasingly unlikely to end this season by qualifying for the Champions League, this is a perfect example.

There have been a few, in fairness; Burnley merely follow Newcastle, Fulham, West Ham and Leeds United to secure odds-defying wins at Goodison Park.

Not that they faced any formidable opposition from the Blues themselves.

Chelsea’s stalemate at Leeds earlier in the day afforded Carlo Ancelotti’s side a golden opportunity to cut their four-point gulf with the Londoners in half.

True to recent form, however, they again failed to seize the initiative.

Losing once at home to lesser teams can be chalked down as unfortunate and twice a coincidence, but four times is an indisputable pattern of behaviour.

Taking points at Anfield and Old Trafford count for nothing when Everton’s top four hopes have been killed off by consistently self-inflicted wounds.

Pickford adds to Blues’ injury woes

 

Unfortunately, injuries have been par for the course with Everton this season.

Each passing week sees the treatment room at Finch Farm become a little more crowded due to the number of first-team regulars that are laid low.

Jordan Pickford threatens join Abdoulaye Docoure on the latest casualty list after suffering an aggravation of the rib injury that sidelined him in January.

The England international is not the type to simply bow out and he tried to soldier on before the discomfort ultimately proved too great to withstand.

With Robin Olsen out of action and an FA Cup quarter-final showdown with Manchester City on the horizon, Pickford’s potential absence is less than ideal.

His withdrawal late in the first half thrust Joao Virginia into the spotlight for a Premier League debut which he emerged from with respectability still intact.

Everton’s third-choice goalkeeper could be in for a baptism of fire if he is required to fill the void for the visit of Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side.

Does Iwobi know his best position?

 

Ancelotti spent a considerable part of Friday’s pre-match press conference offering to accommodate Alex Iwobi’s whim following a veiled Instagram post.

Whether the Nigeria international was referring to club or country when making reference to playing in his ‘preferred position’ still remains unclear.

Nevertheless, the Everton manager granted him the freedom to occupy the no.10 role from the outset against the Clarets but it did not pay dividends.

An ineffectual half-hour later, with the visitors two goals to the good, Iwobi had reverted back to a more familiar if undesired position on the right flank.

His impact there was more profound as he picked out Tom Davies in space from which the midfielder teed up Dominic Calvert-Lewin for a reducer.

Clearly Iwobi and Ancelotti have opposing views on where he is best used but if anyone has the answer, it’s the man who has won three Champions Leagues.

Ancelotti left eating his words

 

Burnley hold a special place in Ancelotti’s heart, and not just because his first victory in the Goodison hot seat, 15 months ago, came at their expense.

He spoke glowingly about the body of work Sean Dyche has cultivated at Turf Moor and, in particular, his ability to deliver results on the principles of 4-4-2.

That same outlook served the Italian relatively well in his formative months on Merseyside, harnessing a limited squad to seal a credible mid-table finish.

Yet Everton did not so much match their struggling counterparts on this occasion as show them too much respect for large parts of the first half.

Unwitting observers could be forgiven for wondering whether it was actually the hosts who are the ones currently scrapping for Premier League survival.

Seems there is such a thing as being too complimentary, even for Ancelotti.