Everton 2 - Manchester City 1: Lukaku gives Toffees first-leg lead but limps off

ROMELU LUKAKU'S late header gave Everton a crucial lead going into the second leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final.

 

Romelu Lukaku heads in the winner to give Everton the upper hand

 

But the Belgian striker limped off immediately afterwards to give the Goodison Park faithful a serious headache about his availability going forward.

Ramiro Funes Mori had given Roberto Martinez's side the lead in the first-half stoppage time as he followed up after Willy Caballero could only parry a shot from outside the box.

Manuel Pellegrini, who had started Fabien Delph in an effort to give Yaya Toure greater freedom further up the pitch, withdrew the former Aston Villa midfielder just after half-time and replaced him with Spanish winger Jesus Navas.

 

And while initially Everton looked rampant as Gerard Delofeu and Ross Barkley peppered the box with slide rule passes and fizzing crosses, City slowly edged their way back into the game.

And they were eventually level, Navas finishing off a lightning-fast counter-attacking move from the away side after Sergio Aguero had played him in down the left-hand side.

 

However, Everton had the last laugh; Gareth Barry picking out Lukaku with a perfectly weighted cross which found the striker for in an onside position for what felt like the first time in the game, and he nodded past a helpless Caballero.

He barely had the time to celebrate though when pain in his ankle stopped him running away to the fans, and he was substituted so that Everton will take a lead but not necessarily their top-scorer back to the Etihad Stadium for the second leg.