Goodison Park buzzed with a restless hum on May 3, 2025, as Everton lined up against Ipswich Town for what would be the final Saturday 3 p.m. kickoff at the storied ground. The team news dropped like a match into dry grass: Dwight McNeil and Carlos Alcaraz were back in the starting eleven, a move that had fans craning their necks and scribbling mental scorelines.
Everton’s gaffer, Sean Dyche, made two switches from the side that last took the pitch. McNeil, the winger with a knack for cutting inside and stinging shots, slotted in for Jack Harrison. Alcaraz, the Argentine midfielder whose grit and flair have been missed, replaced Abdoulaye Doucoure. On the other side, Ipswich weren’t sitting idle. Kieran McKenna, their boss, recalled Omari Hutchinson and Charlie Chaplin to the lineup, dropping the suspended Kalvin Johnson and Jack Clarke to the bench.
The changes weren’t just names on a sheet. McNeil’s return brought a spark to Everton’s left flank, where his curling crosses have been a headache for defenders all season. Alcaraz, meanwhile, added steel and vision to a midfield that’s been crying out for both. For Ipswich, Hutchinson’s pace and Chaplin’s nose for goal signaled intent—a clear message they weren’t just here to park the bus.
The match itself was a Premier League scrap in every sense. Everton, buoyed by their returning duo, pressed hard early. Ipswich, though, leaned on their counterattacking nous, with Hutchinson’s runs testing Everton’s backline. Goodison’s roar carried both sides through a tense, physical first half, setting the stage for a second forty-five that promised bruises and maybe a breakthrough.
Everton’s starting lineup on May 3, 2025, included Jordan Pickford in goal, a back four of Nathan Patterson, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Vitaliy Mykolenko, with Idrissa Gueye anchoring midfield alongside Alcaraz. McNeil, Iliman Ndiaye, and Jesper Lindstrom supported striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Ipswich countered with Arijanet Muric between the sticks, a defense of Ben Davies, Dara O’Shea, Cameron Burgess, and Leif Davis, midfielders Jens Cajuste and Sam Morsy, and attackers Hutchinson, Chaplin, Sammie Szmodics, and Liam Delap.