A frustrated Ronald Koeman said he could not question the spirit of his players after they did “everything” to try to force a comeback against stubborn Burnley.
Having dominated early on, Everton fell behind when Jeff Hendrick steered home against the run of play on 21 minutes.
The Blues then re-established their foothold on the game after the break but, despite chances for Oumar Niasse, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and two late penalty shouts for handball, Koeman’s men slipped to their second home defeat of the campaign against a Clarets side who remain unbeaten on the road this season.