- Merlin Rohl made his first start since the victory at Aston Villa in January
- The midfielder started on the right wing against Manchester City
- Rohl says he believes the Silva incident was a penalty
Everton played out a breathless 3-3 draw with Manchester City at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday evening.
Jeremy Doku opened the scoring for the visitors just before half‑time, but a quick brace from Thierno Barry and a bullet header from Jake O’Brien put the Toffees into a 3‑1 lead. However, Doku struck again in the 97th minute to snatch a point for the champions.
Amid the late heartbreak, one Everton player made a long‑awaited return to the starting line‑up and he was determined to focus on the positives.
Merlin Rohl: ‘I gave everything on the pitch to take that chance’
Merlin Rohl made his first start since the victory at Aston Villa in January. The German midfielder, who has been restricted to limited minutes this season, was asked about his overall thoughts on the game.
“Every time you concede a goal late on, in stoppage time, it’s disappointing. There are different emotions – for the team, and for me personally. There was some great stuff but then, unfortunately, at the end we couldn’t get the win.”
On his individual display, Rohl was pleased simply to be on the pitch.
“Of course I’m really happy to play, to have started. It has been a long time since my last start against Aston Villa, so I’ve tried to be patient and work hard on the training pitch every day. I’m glad the manager trusted me today and gave me an opportunity. I gave everything on the pitch to try to take that chance and have an impact. I had some situations where I did help the team, so that was really nice for me.”
‘I can play anywhere – right wing, right-back, central midfield’
Rohl was used in an unfamiliar role on the night, but he welcomed the challenge. “I’m here living my dream, playing for a great club, playing in the best league in the world and inside me, there’s no need to only play in one position.
“I’m happy to be on the pitch, to play in front of these great supporters, in a great stadium. There’s never a position I wouldn’t play. Today was the first time I’ve played on the right wing for a long time, but I can play anywhere – on the right wing, right-back, central midfield. I’m always happy to contribute.”
‘That could have been a penalty’, Merlin Rohl on Silva incident
The German gave his take on the controversial moment involving Bernardo Silva. “To be honest, we watched the videos and he [Bernardo Silva] has been doing this a lot against other players. I thought [the second-half incident], he was doing way too much grabbing my shirt. I was trying to get away from him, to the ball, so that could have been a penalty.”
David Moyes has previously spoken about Rohl’s situation, saying: “Merlin, we like. Merlin could have easily been involved in some more games and played a little bit more time. It’ll do him no harm to have sat back for the best part of the season and looked at it.”
With three games remaining, Rohl has shown he can contribute when called upon. His attitude and versatility to play different positions only point towards a bright future at Everton. And after this performance, he may have earned more minutes before the season is out.
- ‘I’m here living my dream’, Merlin Rohl grateful for Everton chance after Man City display
- Everton ‘keeping a close eye’ on Osasuna defender as key summer target
- “Really difficult to take” – David Moyes reacts to last-gasp Man City equaliser
- ‘There has to be a level of understanding’: Leon Osman defends midfielder after Moyes remarks
- Everton 3, Manchester City 3: Late heartbreak for Toffees
