Getting three points on the board against Fulham has proved its weight in gold. Everton's two-week international break now gives David Moyes a chance to assess what's going right and what's going wrong.
Everton fans have every right to feel slightly more pessimistic about their last run of games. Four points from four, a heavy home defeat, and a draw at a newly-promoted side. Hear me out; it's not all doom and gloom.
The Toffees could have potentially run in five goals against a destined for mid-table Fulham side. They fell to teams like Manchester City and Tottenham, who have started the campaign in top-four form. They've two wins and a draw in their last five aside from that.
So, could Everton be turning a corner and heading into a positive run? Let's first take a look at some players who are blowing hot or cold in November.
Jake O'Brien - Cold
Everton's starting right-back settled for an unfamiliar position on the bench against Fulham. O'Brien had started 10 games in a row, playing the full 90 minutes in his first seven. But the latter few were a sign of things to come for the Irishman.
David Moyes opted to substitute O'Brien off in the Tottenham and Sunderland games for midfielders and move James Garner to right-back. Garner then started the Fulham game in the same position, leading to O'Brien's exclusion until the 89th minute.
He hasn't done a whole lot wrong. He's guilty of struggling at times against pacy wingers or overlapping full-backs, but Everton fans know his strengths and weaknesses. O'Brien's exclusion could simply be a depth issue, and trying to involve more defensively minded midfielders like Tim Iroegbunam and Merlin Röhl.
Thierno Barry - Hot
It's hard to make the case for a striker to be hot who's played in eleven matches and not scored. However, when goalscoring form is the one clear weakness of this side, here's hoping the Fulham game turned a corner for the team and for Thierno Barry.
If VAR didn't exist, Thierno Barry might be enjoying the aftermath of his first Premier League goal. The French youngster had a promising cameo leading the line against Fulham. He proved to be a nuisance, at times, and had some moments coming close to a goal.
Starting two games in a row shows that David Moyes has confidence in Barry. Sparing a strong international break from his striking counterpart, Beto, he'll likely start again for the Manchester United game. That'll be a real test for him against a tight back five.
James Tarkowski - Cold
Everton's skipper has been going through a dip in form in recent weeks. The Sunderland game was a real litmus test for the defensive setup, and Michael Keane carried the bulk of the weight. Tarkowski hasn't been a glaring liability, but not close to his best.
He appeared to be carrying an injury in the Tottenham game, pulling up after a challenge on striker Randal Kolo Muani. Tarkowski didn't seem himself after that early challenge. Having been regarded as our most reliable defender aerially, he went missing for both of Micky van de Ven's headers.
Speaking on a recent episode of That Peter Crouch Podcast, Tarkowski spoke about the challenges of missing most of pre-season. He was inserted back into the starting eleven for their final warm-up game against AS Roma. A two-week break could do wonders for his form and fitness.
Michael Keane - Hot
Dissecting James Tarkowski's weaknesses highlights Michael Keane's strengths. Less than a month ago, I spoke about how Keane was this season's unsung hero. He's continued to prove why David Moyes was right to take a gamble on him in the summer.
Keane has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League this season. Bias aside, his stats make up most of the argument. He's in the top percentile in aerial duels won, blocked shots, and accurate long balls compared to other defenders.
That's not mentioning his aerial ability in the opposition box. His two Premier League goals and more than a dozen chances place him in the 99th percentile as a goalscoring threat for a defender. He's grown from a benchwarmer to one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Jack Grealish - Cold
Everton's golden boy has proved a wise investment so far this season. Grealish has elevated the side's attacking threat to another level, one which hasn't been felt since 2020-2021 under Carlo Ancelotti.
There's fear amongst some fans that Grealish's form has dropped off. His goal involvements are heavily weighted towards the start of the season. But teams are now more defensively aware of how dangerous he can be on his day.
Multiple sides, most notably from the Aston Villa game onwards, are now deploying their wingers as additional full-back cover to double on his movement. Let's hope he's back in better form after the international window with more direct goal involvements.