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Lukaku grabs brace as Everton ends Leicester’s winning run

Leicester were then in front after Marc Albrighton’s cross from a free-kick somehow found the top corner with Everton keeper Joel Robles totally misjudging the flight of the ball.

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Everton survived another scare when Robles saved with his legs to deny Slimani before re-establishing control and equalising themselves with a well-worked goal midway through the first half.

Morgan will certainly sit out the Everton game, with Shakespeare effectively ruling the central defender out of the match in Madrid.

The insane opening continued in the 23rd minute as Everton got back on level terms when Ross Barkley put an inch-perfect cross in from the right and Lukaku got ahead of Robert Huth and powered a header past Schmeichel.

However, he is certainly enjoying some home comfort at Goodison Park, even if he has snubbed the offer of a new contract.

As the home fans appealed for a foul, teenage midfielder Tom Davies latched onto the loose ball and pushed it past Kasper Schmeichel. The first opportunity will present itself in the match against Leicester at Goodison Park.

His counterpart, Ronald Koeman, responded by introducing Gareth Barry to shore up the home side’s midfield. “He is improving other aspects that the team needs and he is going in a good direction”. “We know it is a hard task against Everton but we know the players will be ready and up for it”. “Really nice goals. The early cross from Ross was a great assist to Rom [Lukaku]”.

Lukaku scored twice in the 4-2 win against Leicester, taking his tally to 23 for the season, one more than Middlesbrough.

“We’ve got a lot of games – Wednesday, Saturday, Tuesday”.

Explaining Vardy’s upturn in fortunes, the Leicester boss said: “I think it is more a case of what the team has done for Jamie – and I think he would be the first to appreciate that”.

Ronald Koeman tempered praise for Ross Barkley by repeating his warning that Everton will look to sell the England global in the summer if he refuses to sign a new contract.

“We offer him a new contract, and then (there are) two possibilities”, he said when asked what he could do to keep Barkley. One he signs the contract.

“I like this because you need to do everything to win the game and after you can be friends, but not on the pitch”. “Simple. It’s not so hard in my opinion”.

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In the 58th minute Lukaku grabbed a second goal from close range to settle the game and put Everton level on points with Arsenal in sixth place.

Romelu Lukaku