Well that was a proper turnaround. Everton recovered from two goals down to win 3-2 at Watford and grab a crucial three points at Vicarage Road.
This is the first time Everton have come back to win after going behind in more than 30 matches. In fact the Blues came back from two goals down and won at last.
The Toffees were a bit subdued and started slowly in this game. Neither team looked especially good but Watford made the better early chances and went ahead after just 10 minutes.
They then doubled their lead soon afterwards. The Toffees looked subdued, lacking energy and ideas – how often have we said that in recent months.
After not really threatening at all, Everton then unexpectedly scored two goals from set-pieces in quick succession. Both goals were scored by Yerry Mina too. The big Colombian has looked a threat in these situations for quite a while without finding a finish.
But today Mina managed to find the back of the net following both these dead ball chances to bring the Blues level going into halftime. In truth Everton hadn’t deserved this but who cares!
The second half saw a much better effort from the away team although there was still a lack of quality and although the Toffees had plenty of the ball they weren’t creating a great deal.
The match looked as though it was going to finish in a draw, which would have been the Blues third straight in the Premier League. With seconds left Everton broke and following a scuffed shot from substitute Moise Kean, Theo Walcott slotted the ball home.
Now given the Toffees propensity for conceding late, late goals would they be able to hold on? The usual extended period of extra time was underway and despite the nerves, the Blues managed to hold on and claim the points.
So what to make of this frantic game and improbable finish, is it going to prove to be a watershed game for the rest of the season?
One problem was that another Blues player, Fabian Delph, was sent off for stupid fouls that are increasingly difficult to justify in an era of such erratic referring. He and other players need to understand this and react accordingly as it could have been very costly.
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On the plus side, Everton managed to come back and win from two goals down is to be celebrated. This could hopefully prove a turning point in the psychological makeup of the team.
There is though another aspect that is more concerning. This is the defensive frailty that the team continues to show away from home.
I have felt that overall the Toffees are looking more assured defensively in recent weeks since Carlo Ancelotti took over. But again this afternoon, the team looked vulnerable and conceded goals too easily in first half.
But let’s finish with the positives and enjoy a rare Everton win away from home and of course finally shaking that money off the back in winning from behind.