Roma went forward and a cross field pass was met on the volley by Neil El Aynaoui who cracked it just wide of Pickford’s far post. Beto and McNeil were preparing to enter the fray as Iliman Ndiaye almost gifted Roma a goal when he passed the ball back to Pickford but sold the keeper short. Thankfully, Pickford made a super save to deny the Romans.

Depending on where you want to start, this was a day either four years, nine years or even 133 years in the making for Everton on the banks of the Mersey. The Blues started construction of the 52,769 capacity arena that would become Hill Dickinson Stadium in 2021 when they came on site at Bramley-Moore Dock.