After Everton’s “performance” last week against Fulham, nobody really knew what to expect out of the Blues today. As it turns out, the trip to Craven Cottage appears to have just been a speed bump. Everton Football Club showed up to Goodison Park on Easter Sunday and rose from the dead against Manchester United.
The Red Devils were never in the match. Ole was behind the wheel, but under the influence of David Moyes, because United got boatraced from the first whistle and things never got better.
To a man, Everton were United’s better, including but not limited to virtuouso performances from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Richarlison. Morgan Schneiderlin and Idrissa Gueye took Paul Pogba out of the game. Things got so out of hand at one point that Theo Walcott scored a goal and James McCarthy got to play.
In a season that has at points felt like a slog, we can now point to real progress. Marco Silva has taught Everton how to beat the top six, and not just once, either. The Blues have now beaten Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United, while drawing Liverpool. That is not a fluke, either - the performances have deserved the results.
European qualification remains a bit of a pipe dream, but on today’s evidence, you’d be hard pressed to convince me that Everton are not the best of the rest in the Premier League.
Richarlison and Lucas Digne both picked up injuries and had to come off the field, but their substutions felt more precautionary than anything else. Both had scored and otherwise done their jobs, and frankly, nothing could kill the mood today.
Everton are - and have been for awhile - fun again, and pretty decent, too. They walked past one of the richest clubs in the world aside like it was a Sunday stroll. Up the damn Toffees.
