The only reason for mentioning Lookman is that the cheer when he took the field was easily the biggest of the second half, which says everything about the mundanity of what went before. Huddersfield was worth their point here, they are well organised defensively and often dangerous when breaking quickly. They can cope with opponents like Everton all day because Marco Silva’s side seems to have forgotten how to create any danger at all. With even local heroes such as Séamus Coleman and Tom Davies surrendering possession with aimless, unreadable passes the quick, slick football the new manager wants to see was conspicuous by its absence.
Not even the introduction of Ademola Lookman could save this game from instant forgettability. The substitute came closest to conjuring a winning goal in the second half when his cross was almost touched in by Gylfi Sigurdsson, though that is not to suggest a player on loan at RB Leipzig last season proved a point or confirmed the wisdom of Everton keeping hold of him.
Two goals in as many minutes livened up a first half that was sorely in need of life. Before Philip Billing put the visitors ahead just past the half-hour there had been nothing to stir the crowd, just two teams passing the ball around painfully slowly and failing to come up with anything inventive or threatening. Some people might even have been asleep by the time Huddersfield took the lead from a corner, and while that does not necessarily include the Everton defence questions will have to be asked about how a 6ft 4in beanpole was allowed a free header on the six-yard line. Chris Löwe’s cross was touched on instead of cleared at the near post, and standing right in front of the goalkeeper Billing reacted quickly to steer the ball past Jordan Pickford.
