Richarlison denies Leicester to earn late relief for Everton in survival bid

Chances were going begging, hope was fading and Burnley were looking at the possibility of dragging Everton into the relegation zone when Richarlison’s 92nd minute deflected equaliser rescued a vital point for Frank Lampard’s team against Leicester.

Until the Brazilian’s late intervention it appeared Everton would follow up a morale-boosting win over Manchester United last time out with a damaging defeat to Harvey Barnes’ early goal. Everton have still not won back-to-back league games since September, the third and fourth matches of the season, and Burnley could yet overtake them before Sunday’s Merseyside derby with four points from their next two home games against Southampton and Wolves. But having stared at defeat for so long, Lampard will find consolation in his team’s refusal to accept it.

Leicester played with a freedom and confidence that Everton’s predicament does not allow. An early lead helped, of course, along with the seven changes that Rodgers made from Sunday’s stoppage-time defeat at Newcastle. The Leicester manager replaced his entire back four and recalled James Maddison, Barnes and Kelechi Iheanacho. Lampard was forced into his attacking switch. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was ruled out of the game, plus Sunday’s Merseyside derby at Anfield, having felt “a small sensation in his quad in training,” according to the Everton manager. The squad has been plagued by recurring injuries this season and the trials of Calvert-Lewin, who was still searching for sharpness following a quadriceps problem that had sidelined him for four months, have been a major factor in Everton’s decline.

The visitors immediately served notice of their ability to pierce Everton’s defence. Merely 25 seconds had elapsed when Ricardo