It’s the most-important week of Everton’s season…again. Almost a year to the day that they played another bottom of the table side, Norwich City, the Blues will face another side propping up the Premier League when Southampton come to Goodison Park next Saturday.
Some 12 months ago, the Canaries were on a wretched run having lost their previous six Premier League games and having not scored a goal in the competition since November. Against Everton though, they netted twice in less than two minutes and although substitute Richarlison reduced arrears at Carrow Road on the hour-mark, the Blues were beaten 2-1.
The following day, Rafael Benitez was sacked having won just one of his last 13 Premier League matches in charge, a run that included nine defeats and would later be described by chairman Bill Kenwright as “unacceptably disappointing.” The Spaniard, who of course had been in charge of local rivals Liverpool for six years between 2004-10, had arguably been the most-controversial appointment in the history of the most-passionate city in English football but ultimately it was results, not his previous employment across Stanley Park that cost him his job.
