Just as Everton were beginning to look like a competent outfit they produced a performance that will give Sean Dyche nightmares.
The new Blues boss would have known his side was capable of imploding. He would have done his homework upon taking the job. He would have seen, or at least analysed, the debris from the complete collapses against Bournemouth and Brighton, or the moments of incompetence or signs of toothlessness that led to damaging defeats to Wolves, West Ham and Southampton.
But, deep down, he may not have believed such outrageous calamity could happen on his watch. And many supporters would have felt the same. Over the course of a month Dyche has improved this fragile side. He has brought organisation, and fight, and resilience, and those qualities have made Everton competitive. Competitive enough to gain morale-boosting wins over Arsenal and Leeds United at Goodison Park and to have shown, in the defeat to Aston Villa, signs that this team is simply a goalscorer away from being a genuinely effective outlet. Before now, the defeat at Anfield was the only blot of his reign and the Blues specialise in finding ways to snatch defeat on the other side of Stanley Park. At the Emirates, though, Dyche was forced to watch his side crumble as the taunts of “Ole” and “you’re going down” sounded out around him.
