An unexpected guest wandered onto the pitch and stole the show during Everton's FA Cup third-round victory over Dagenham and Redbridge on Saturday.
Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles tried his hand at shooing the cat away during the match at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England.
He was about to take a goal kick when the cat wandered onto the pitch, planting itself on the edge of the penalty area.
As it showed no intention of moving, Robles had to pause and usher the feline fan away before play resumed. At that point, the Premier League outfit were leading 2-0 through goals from forwards Arouna Kone and Kevin Mirallas.
Still, the cat made quite an impression in its short time on the pitch, especially on Everton manager Roberto Martinez, who praised the cat's "great style and movement".
Everton saw the funny side and posted on Twitter: "The game is on hold due to a cat being on the pitch. Joel Robles asks it to politely move... and it does. Game on!"
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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 11, 2016, with the headline Playing a cat and mouse game. Subscribe