For one of the more stylish midfielders to grace Goodison Park in recent decades, a farewell to the venue came in the form of a warm-up for a very different test. There was a time when it seemed as though Mikel Arteta may return to Everton as manager. Instead, as Arsenal targeted the unproven Arteta, they were seduced by the glamour of Carlo Ancelotti, meaning a swift volte-face when they withdrew the offer of the job to a certain David Moyes. Now it is Ancelotti and Real Madrid for Arteta.
His Goodison goodbye contained preparation, frustration and a bit more of Myles Lewis-Skelly’s education. A draw renders it still likelier the Premier League title will return to Merseyside, with Liverpool now only requiring another 11 points to make it mathematically certain. But if Arteta’s team selection, with Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli only substitutes, indicated he has the Champions League in mind, he has plenty to consider.
