After a difficult last few weeks, Everton found their best form in many a month as they thrashed Brighton 5-1 on the South Coast last night.
This spectacular and almost freakishly good performance and result, seems to have come out of nowhere.
I did actually fancy that Everton might come up with one of those unexpectedly good efforts that occasionally come out-of-the-blue.
Looking at recent away games the Blues’ have actually been improving and picking up solitary points that very few supporters expected.
In particular, the matches at Chelsea when the Toffees’ fought back really well to secure a draw and then the Leicester City game when Everton could and should have won, were indications that things were changing in terms of this team’s away fixtures.
So, you could argue this performance was overdue, although the manner of it and the number of goals scored, were not at all expected!
In fact, the strange thing is that it has been the Blues’ home form that has let the team down recently rather than what has happened on the road.
Defeats at Goodison to Fulham and Newcastle United when seven goals were conceded, had put the Toffees’ in further, seemingly terminal difficulty.
Yesterday, manager Sean Dyche got everthing right and it showed on the pitch. He finally brought Yerry Mina and Nathan Patterson into the back four, both changes I and many others have been desperate to see for weeks.
The two of them were outstanding and snuffed out most things from a potent and dangerous Seagulls side who are always a threat. They now have to stay in the team.
Of course, the other change has been the long awaited return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Having their best striker and a natural centre-forward and leader of the line back, has made a massive difference overall.
His pace, power and movement has transformed the attacking threat that this Toffees’ side can offer.
The other aspect of this result that was especially satisfying was to see Abdoulaye Doucoure providing that direct support alongside Calvert-Lewin.
This is something I have wanted to see for a long time and whenever has been able to get forward under Dyche, he has made a big impact, as seen at both Chelsea and Nottingham Forest for example.
The former Watford man scored two superb goals to essentially set up the win, with his second, a brilliant first-time volley from Dwight McNeil’s fine cross.
Even players such as Alex Iwobi who has been so frustrating over the last few months since he has returned to operating on the flank after having been playing in the centre of midfield, performed at their best.
So, it appears that Dyche has found his perfect formula and not a moment too soon either. Now, he and the team have to sustain this level of concentration, intensity and clinical edge in front of goal in the three remaining matches.