The late, great Formula One World Champion James Hunt once declared: “The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel” when describing his driving style and while Evertonians have felt the rush of the footballing equivalent of the euphoria that follows victory after you’ve had to stare into the abyss – most recently on Crystal Palace’s previous visit to Goodison Park earlier this year – it was a welcome relief to eventually stroll to success for once.
A 3-0 victory to move Everton up to 11 th in the Premier League table and within three points of neighbours Liverpool, who finished 53 points and 14 places above them last term was in sharp contrast to the nail-biting drama of the Blues’ 3-2 comeback win over the Eagles on May 19 to secure the club’s top flight status and avoid what could have been a first relegation in 71 years.
Back then, Dominic Calvert-Lewin didn’t find the net in front of the Gwladys Street to finally put Frank Lampard’s side ahead until five minutes from the end but here, starting at Goodison for the first time since that famous night, his low right foot finish – at the same end of the ground that houses Everton’s most-vociferous fans – he ensured they were leading this contest from the 11 th minute onwards. Aforementioned racer Hunt died aged just 45 in Wimbledon on June 15, 1993, less than a year before the Blues’ first Premier League ‘Great Escape’ against Wimbledon and after going through it all again against Coventry City a mere four years later, Goodison patrons could be forgiven for feeling they’d had their fill of the emotional roller-coaster of living on the edge.
