Cenk Tosun opened his account as Everton slumped in a 2-1 defeat to Burnley.

Tosun opened the scoring at Turf Moor when he bulleted home a header from a cross by his Blues strike partner Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the 20th minute.

The visitors had Jordan Pickford to thank for staying ahead at the break as he produced a series of saves to deny Sean Dyche’s side an equaliser.

But Everton’s lead lasted just 11 minutes into the second half as Ashley Barnes fired past Pickford after a defence-splitting pass by Matthew Lowton.

Substitute Chris Wood snatched the Clarets’ first victory in 11 Premier League games as he was allowed to head home unmarked in the 80th minute.

Matters worsened for Sam Allardyce’s side as Ashley Williams was instantly dismissed for elbowing Barnes during an off-the-ball exchange.

Here were the key talking points from Turf Moor:

Blues can’t resist breaking records

 

Everton appear to relish challenging some of the league’s most obscure statistics.

No matter how vague or tedious, they continue to defy convention.

Burnley had not won in their previous 10 Premier League games and failed to win any of 53 domestic matches where they had conceded the first goal.

Step forward, Sam Allardyce’s side.

Not only did end one record at Turf Moor, the Blues added one of their own.

They have now lost 19 competitive games this season – their most in a single campaign since an abject 21 recorded in the 2005/06 campaign.

A club that prides itself on blazing a trail in footballing ‘firsts’ continues to gain a new and highly dubious reputation.

Big Sam needs the big push

 

Patience with Allardyce already appears to have snapped for most Evertonians.

Chants emanating loud and clear from the visitors’ section left the one-time England boss under illusions as to who is responsible for the current downturn.

Much as Allardyce believes that the blame lies with Ronald Koeman and Roberto Martinez, they have not presided over seven defeats in the past 10 games.

Neither also made the baffling decision to withdraw arguably Everton’s best player against Burnley in the form of Gylfi Sigurdsson.

This is no longer, to use the manager’s own words, ’15 fans arguing among themselves on the internet’. It never has been, in truth.

Under both Koeman and Martinez, the atmosphere turned toxic for far less than what ‘Big Sam’ is currently serving up at England’s fourth-most successful club.

The only ‘big’ thing Allardyce needs and deserves right now is the push.

Tosun breakthrough bodes well

 

It is fair to say Cenk Tosun endured an imperfect start to life at Goodison Park.

That disappointment boiled largely down to a lack of clarity over the role he plays in Allardyce’s side, arguably exacerbated by the Everton manager himself.

At every turn, Tosun has been publicly undermined with suggestions that he may not be able to hack it in the rigour of Premier League football.

Like the off-colour remarks from the stands, however, Allardyce should be reading the £27 milion man loud and clear after a first goal for his new club.

Meeting Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s 20th-minute cross with a bullet header, Tosun demonstrated the positional sense and marksmanship to break the deadlock.

So much for not being able to play in cold climates…

Pickford passes World Cup audition

 

Gareth Southgate will have been impressed by what he witnessed at Turf Moor.

All eyes were on the goalkeepers that could lead England’s World Cup charge but only the man in Everton colours proved himself worthy of the number-one spot.

Without Jordan Pickford, Allardyce’s side may have found themselves pegged level, and behind, far sooner than 11 minutes into the second half.

An unbelievable acrobatic stop to deny Ashley Barnes was undoubtedly the highlight of the stopper’s repertoire before the England head coach.

Only a rare lapse in judgement, as he stayed on his line for Barnes’ equaliser, counted against him as he left opposite number Nick Pope firmly in the shade.