Monday, October 6, 2025
Everton FC

Everton 2-0 Norwich City: Three talking points

Richard Buxton
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Everton returned to winning ways against Norwich City.

Rafael Benitez’s side welcomed the Premier League newcomers on the back of a chastening week of losses to Aston Villa and QPR in the Carabao Cup.

But they owed a stroke of fortune against a struggling Canaries to open the scoring after Ozan Kabak conceded a first-half penalty with a lunge on Allan.

Andros Townsend wrong-footed his former Newcastle teammate Tim Krul from the penalty spot to score his third goal in four games for the Blues.

The visitors grew into the game after the interval before Abdoulaye Doucoure settled nerves on 77 minutes, slotting through Krul’s legs from close range.

Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:

Benitez ties with Goodison royalty

Exactly 58 years since Colin Harvey made his debut for Everton, his beloved club marked the occasion by matching another monumental personal feat.

Goodison’s greatest living legend admittedly did not have the best of times in replacing Howard Kendall for a three-year spell at the helm in the late 1980s.

But until Saturday afternoon, 10 different Everton managers had all failed to emulate the feat which he set at the beginning of a final full season in charge.

None of them were able to rack up a hat-trick of home wins at the start of a league campaign; the last coming under Harvey way back in September 1989.

Although he will doubtless be aware of the majesty surrounding the ‘White Pele’, Benitez may not fully appreciate the importance of equalling his record.

It might ultimately count for little but joining bona fide Everton royalty mere weeks into the job can only be considered a good omen for the Spaniard.

Rondon struggles with ring rust

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison’s combined absences led to Salomon Rondon being thrust into the limelight at Everton during the past fortnight.

He had excelled in his first Premier League spell with Benitez at Newcastle, breaking the double-figure goal tally which had eluded him at West Brom.

But the Venezuela international’s re-acquaintance with the top flight is clearly a work in progress after his full home debut proved an underwhelming affair.

Rondon’s mere presence in attack preoccupied Norwich’s defence to a point, enabling Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend to make inroads from wide.

Yet it was patently obvious that he is exhibiting all the classic symptoms of ring rust following a deadline day move from the Chinese Super League.

A four-month absence between his last outing for Dalian and the 32-year-old’s first games for Everton was always going to require a period of readjustment.

His performances should improve over the coming weeks, particularly with the returns of Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin providing a more suitable foil.

Player of the Year contest hotting up

Choosing Everton’s Player of the Year will be an unenviable task this season.

Often a foregone conclusion in recent times, with one candidate winning outright, the current campaign is already developing into a crowded field.

Townsend and Gray’s flying starts to life at Goodison puts both players in contention, not least after impressive displays respectively against Norwich.

Doucoure, too, is making a strong case to be in contention for the accolade.

The Frenchman’s match-winning strike took his tally to a combined two goals and three assists across Everton’s opening six Premier League games.

His arrival last summer from Watford went slightly underappreciated in the shadow of midfield cohort Allan and the recently departed James Rodriguez.

Now ‘Doucs’ is receiving his full dues and could push Townsend and Gray in the battle for the award if all three continue their impressive vein of form.