Everton’s stay-away board of directors weren’t present again to witness it but after being forced to endure the worst first half of a Premier League season in the club’s history, loyal but long-suffering Blues fans enjoyed their first taste of ‘Dycheball.’
Frank Lampard’s reign as manager ended with four consecutive home defeats for the first time since 1958 as three clubs in the relegation zone, Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton (the latter two of which were both bottom), plus Brighton & Hove Albion, who dismantled Everton 4-1 with three goals coming in the space of just six chaotic minutes early in the second half, all securing three points at Goodison Park.
Here though, against Premier League leaders Arsenal, a team only beaten once all season in the competition (3-1 at Manchester United back on September 5) – we’ve had a new monarch since then and are on a third Prime Minister – new Blues boss Sean Dyche was able to steer an under-achieving group of players who went into the fixture joint bottom of the table to their first three points since October 22. Apart from a few one-eyed Gooners online throwing their toys out of the pram over the result like spoilt children who for once didn’t get their way, few could begrudge Everton this potentially season-saving win as they finally stopped the rot.
