In recent weeks, I — and many others — have bemoaned what seemed like a lack of desire from Everton.
Not a lack of effort, but a lack of a real want to go out and win football matches.
There was the complete no-show in the second half against Chelsea, which followed on from a 2-2 draw against Hull City in which Everton really should have kicked on and won after going 2-1 up, but instead they retreated into their shell.
Even before the international break, there was that unconvincing win over Ipswich Town, albeit I’ll stand by that if Thierno Barry’s header had been allowed to stand, and there was no good reason to disallow it, then that match would likely have played out very differently.
Then, there was that dismal display away at Arsenal. It’s not that Evertonians anticipated a victory over the reigning Premier League champions on their own turf, but what was served up was a classic example of David Moyes and the players going up against the badge, rather than the Gunners team that actually featured on the day.
So, Everton needed to respond. There was a huge week or so coming up, with 3 games in the space of 8 days, and 2 of those being against Newcastle United.
Respond they have.
The first box was ticked, with a 3-1 win in the EFL Cup last Thursday, but Everton being Everton, there of course had to be some drama: That came in the form of Jack Grealish’s suspension.
But the big question then was: Could Everton go to St James’ Park for a de facto return leg, and go again?
They did that, and they did it with their best performance in the Premier League this term.
Everton’s spine players have definitely stood up, while Moyes has even suggested he does still have some tactical flexibility.
But Monday’s win was still based hugely on workrate and attitude. The quality was there, too, but there was just a lack of composure in the big moments. However, the reward for creating so many decent openings came when Lukas Hornicek spilled Tyrique George’s shot, and Thierno Barry was there to tap home.
That is the kind of luck you make when you keep attacking, when you keep executing a well-though out gameplan, and when you don’t step off just because you did not get your reward straight away.
Back to the effort: Everton’s players dominated the top distance covered metrics. And while that should not be used as a gauge of how well someone played, it does help paint a picture of just how the Toffees went about setting the tone and ensuring they were the team that was on top.
Harrison Armstrong was immense in this sense. Yes, we need to see a bit more craft from him on the ball, and boy, does he need some shooting practice, but he won 5/6 duels, showing how combative he was in the middle of the park. He completed 26/31 passes, and it is that composure and reading of the game that Moyes values so much. Armstrong led the way for distance covered.
Just behind Armstrong for distance covered was Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who was immense, leading Everton in several key metrics such as touches, passes, shots and chances created.
James Garner finally seems to have clicked into gear, and James Tarkowski was once again superb, while Jarrad Branthwaite won 10 aerial duels, the joint-most of any player in a Premier League game this season. Vitally Mykolenko was solid, Jake O’Brien put in a shift at right-back (albeit, let’s hope that doesn’t continue) and Merlin Röhl was extremely effective down the wing.
Behind the defence, Jordan Pickford was largely impeccable, too.
But really, the fight is back, that desire and want to go out and win a match was there, from the players and the manager.
Everton could have, and probably should have, won by more, and ultimately the lack of composure in this team could end up costing them in certain games; and that quality needs to be there on Friday, when Coventry City visit Hill Dickinson Stadium.
But as long as that fight and intensity is there, then the rest will come.