It was the day Leicester City rediscovered their resilience and precision on the road plus, potentially, cover for Jamie Vardy in the form of Ahmed Musa. It was also the day cracks appeared in Ronald Koeman’s relationship with the Everton hierarchy. “We need to be competitive and to win,” the major shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, told an Everton AGM brimming with talk of new stadiums and commercial deals on Wednesday. There will be no tangible success this season. A trophy drought of 22 years continues on their watch.

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Everton dominated possession, created little, but eventually took a valuable lead against deep-lying visitors through Romelu Lukaku’s seventh goal in seven FA Cup appearances. Their defence then wilted feebly under two bursts of pressure from the Premier League champions, Musa scored twice for a team that have not won away in the league this season, and Koeman’s last hope of silverware in his first campaign at Goodison Park was extinguished. His team looked pedestrian, penetration was lacking along with defensive solidity and the Everton manager did not spare his players from criticism. But they were not the only targets in his sights.

“If everybody opens their eyes today maybe we will get further in our improvement as a team because that’s what the team needs,” said Koeman, clearly infuriated by a second early home cup exit and perhaps by a lack of progress on signing Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay from Manchester United.

“That is about what happens this month. I know what we need to change and the board knows because we spoke together about what we need and what the team needs. That’s the job of Steve Walsh [Everton’s director of football]. It’s my job and I hope everybody realises what the team needs to play and to get results that meet the expectations in this club. I can explain more but they are talks we need to have inside the club. If a young player of 19 is one of the best on the pitch [Tom Davies, who is 18] then that says enough.”

Koeman’s comments would constitute a diversion tactic were it not for the unsparing criticism of his own team. Claudio Ranieri, by contrast, was back to his ebullient self after an away display that suggested the champions have merely misplaced their balance this season rather than lost it completely. They were content to sit back and absorb Everton pressure and their attacking options appeared limited with Vardy unable to return from suspension because of illness and Leonardo Ulloa limping off after 35 minutes with a thigh problem. His replacement, the £16m summer signing from CSKA Moscow, would transform the tie and the mood around Goodison.

Everton edged in front when the half-time substitute Gerard Deulofeu, injecting much-needed pace and service from the right, crossed low and hard for Lukaku to convert at close range. The hosts had controlled the play but instead of now controlling the contest they retreated as Leicester sparked into life and sealed victory with two clinical attacks and contrasting finishes from Musa.

Ranieri’s side levelled swiftly when Demarai Gray broke down the left and centred low for the Nigeria international, arriving at the near post with Leighton Baines. Musa’s initial shot struck the Everton left-back, looped beyond the goalkeeper Joel Robles and struck a post before the striker bundled home the rebound.

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There was no disputing the quality of his second from the visitors’ next attack against a static Everton defence. Collecting the ball midway inside the home half, Musa weaved his way beyond the home midfield, played a slick one-two with Danny Drinkwater and sent the return into the bottom corner of Robles’ net with a clinical finish.

“We wanted to win in the FA Cup and more because we lost at home to Everton on Boxing Day and wanted revenge,” said the Leicester manager. “I’m pleased for Musa. It’s important for him. I saw in the last month that he’s much better and maybe now he understands better the Premier League and the fighters and he was a very good threat to Everton. He was similar to Vardy. Everybody was scared when he attacked the space and that is good.”