Grealish Illness Leaves Everton Short in Goalless Burnley Draw

Everton were forced to settle for a frustrating goalless draw at Burnley after Jack Grealish missed the trip to Turf Moor through illness, with David Moyes confirming the Manchester City loanee was unavailable despite training earlier in the week.

The Toffees struggled to generate rhythm or cutting edge against a relegation-threatened Burnley side, while Kyle Walker, who had been out socialising with Grealish days earlier, started and completed the match at right wing-back without issue.

The absence of Grealish followed reports of a high-profile night out in London after Everton’s recent defeat to Arsenal, but Moyes was quick to explain that a sickness bug was the sole reason for the midfielder’s omission. Grealish, who had taken part in training on Tuesday, did not feel well enough to be involved on Saturday.

Moyes also had to cope with several other absentees, including Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jarrad Branthwaite, Illiman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye, further limiting Everton’s options in what proved to be a disjointed display.

The stalemate leaves Everton 11th in the Premier League table, a result that does little to advance their ambitions after a run of improved performances. Burnley, meanwhile, remain 19th but trimmed the gap to safety to six points, offering renewed belief in their survival push.

Turf Moor provided a tense backdrop, with the home crowd sensing an opportunity early on as Burnley pressed aggressively and disrupted Everton’s build-up play. The visitors never truly settled, often struggling to link midfield and attack without Grealish’s control and creativity.

Burnley created the clearer chances, forcing Everton into last-ditch defending and relying on solid organisation to keep the hosts at bay. There were no major refereeing flashpoints, but the lack of quality in the final third defined the contest.

Clear chances were at a premium, and neither side managed a moment of genuine attacking brilliance. Burnley came closest through sustained pressure, while Everton rarely threatened beyond hopeful transitions and set pieces.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Burnley pushing for a breakthrough and Everton unable to raise the tempo. Tactical tweaks from Moyes failed to spark momentum, and the match drifted toward a stalemate long before the final whistle.

Late on, Burnley continued to probe, but Everton held firm to secure a clean sheet, even if it came at the cost of ambition. The point was greeted with muted relief by the visitors and lingering frustration by the hosts.

For Everton, attention now turns to restoring key players, with Moyes hopeful Grealish will return to training this week. Burnley, encouraged by their performance, will look to build on the display as they chase crucial points in the weeks ahead.