Everton's third pre-season friendly ended in a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Championship side Coventry City at the Coventry Building Society Arena. The Blues, sporting their new away kit inspired by Goodison Park's magical nights, struggled to find their rhythm against a well-organised Coventry team.
The match started with a minute's applause to remember the victims of the recent stabbings in Southport, setting a sombre tone for the encounter. Sean Dyche fielded a strong starting eleven, including Dominic Calvert-Lewin leading the line, but the team appeared lacklustre and disjointed from the outset.
Everton struggled to create clear-cut chances, while Coventry, spurred on by the presence of former Blues striker Ellis Simms and Jake Bidwell, looked more threatening. It was Simms who opened the scoring with a well-taken finish from a corner, taking advantage of poor marking from the Everton defence.
