Everton were comprehensively beaten by Tottenham in a 6-2 humbling.

Theo Walcott broke the deadlock on 20 minutes when he slotted home from a Dominic Calvert-Lewin cut-back after a poor clearance by Davinson Sanchez.

But miscommunication between Jordan Pickford and Kurt Zouma gifted Son Heung-Min an equaliser as he was allowed to turn the ball into an empty net.

Spurs found themselves ahead as Dele Alli rifled past Pickford after the Blues stopper had denied Son’s cross at his near post.

Harry Kane compounded the Blues’ misery when he slotted past Pickford after a Kieran Trippier free kick cannoned back off his left-hand post.

Matters worsened after the half-time interval when Christian Eriksen pounced on a Seamus Coleman clearance to rifle home Spurs’ fourth of the afternoon.

Gylfi Sigurdsson pulled a goal back but it proved a short-lived hope as Son pounced on an Erik Lamela through ball to score his second of the afternoon.

Kane rounded off the rout with his own brace barely 15 minutes from time.

Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:

Blues need to buck up – and fast

 

Forget the dirge served up under Sam Allardyce – this Everton’s weakest performance in well over a year.

That the Blues are one point and two places worse off than they were at this stage under the one-time England manager hardly vindicates Marco Silva.

Neither does the abject showing that gave Ronald Koeman’s last stand, exactly 14 months ago, a run for its money. No one can say that it has not been coming, though.

Watford, Newcastle, Cardiff and Huddersfield have all visited Goodison Park this season and made to appear greater than the sum of their parts.

Something has to change – and fast – or Everton will find themselves facing a repeat of the previous campaign’s unwelcome struggles.

Pickford chokes down humble pie

 

Just a matter of months ago, Jordan Pickford could do absolutely no wrong.

He was the number-one of Everton, England and indeed Merseyside football.

Pickford discussed opposite number Alisson’s early-season shortcomings at Liverpool and spoke of his wariness at not falling into a similar predicament.

A penny for the Brazilian stopper’s thoughts after his Goodison counterpart made another fatal error leading to a third opposition goal conceded this season.

Last summer’s World Cup hero is by no means a busted flush but Pickford needs to allow his performances to do the talking instead of eating his own words.

Opportunity knocks but Davies can’t answer

 

Pickford is not the only Everton player suffering from a public fall from grace.

Injury to Idrissa Gueye afforded Tom Davies a rare chance to shine at a time when the 20-year-old’s stock has dwindled since his 2017 breakthrough.

But when opportunity knocked, the midfielder could not even come to the door.

In being overrun by Tottenham’s own bank of two in Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks, he never really stood a chance. It only got worse in the second half, too.

Davies’ efforts remain unquestionable but hopes of him displacing Gueye and midfield partner Andre Gomes on the back of this fixture were never realistic.

Festive run can help end top six stigma

 

Of all the statistics levelled at Everton’s latest mauling, one stood above the rest.

A solitary win in seven games should be setting alarm bells ringing about Silva’s side far more than shipping six goals for the first time since 2014.

But the flat note on which Goodison Park’s 2018 ended could have a sunny upside with Everton free of their top-six stigma until mid-February at least.

The Boxing Day trip to Burnley is one of eight matches where they will not face those in the Premier League’s higher reachers that they still aspire to join.

Win that and the ensuing games, Everton might actually be able to go toe-to-toe with Manchester City by the time they rock up in the blue half of Merseyside.