Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored twice as Everton saw off Chelsea.

Caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson enjoyed a flying start to his tenure when Richarlison met a Dijbril Sidibe cross to recorded a third goal in as many games.

Just minutes after the interval, Calvert-Lewin doubled the lead when he capitalised on a defensive error by Kurt Zouma to slot a close-range finish.

Mateo Kovacic pulled one back for the visitors with a 25-yard strike but Calvert-Lewin grabbed his brace when he pounced to prod home the Blues’ third.

Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:

Big Dunc could do the job

 

Duncan Ferguson doesn’t want the Everton manager’s job in the long run.

By personal admission, the legendary striker is ‘realistic’ enough to know that he wouldn’t be a serious candidate in a galaxy of experienced and stellar names.

But maybe he should?

The Goodison Park faithful would certainly make a strong case for ‘Big Dunc’ to be named Marco Silva’s replacement after his side downed a high-flying Chelsea.

Frank Lampard’s side could not handle the approach of a team which embodied Ferguson’s career hallmarks; uncompromising, confrontational and committed.

That hard-fought devotion was evident in statistics which revealed they made more tackles than any other Premier League team this season with 37.

It was also the first time in this decade that Goodison Park’s hosts had reached even close to that number in a feat reminiscent of the ‘Dogs of War’ era.

One swallow does not make a season, as Silva discovered to his cost, but more performances like this will make the clamour for Ferguson grow ever louder.

…and rides the Goodison wave

 

Ferguson’s remit as Silva’s interim successor was simple: bring back the smiles.

The Everton caretaker appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the task himself.

Amid the euphoria of Richarlison’s early opener, he embarked on a Jose Mourinho-esque dart down the touchline to celebrate with his new charges.

Goodison’s ball boys also got in on the action as they were mobbed by the towering Scot for both of Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s second-half strikes.

Even at the final whistle, Ferguson was revelling in his moment in the spotlight; saluting all four sides of this famous stadium with arm-thrusting celebrations.

His emotional attachment to Everton is greater than any manager that has taken the reins dating back to Howard Kendall’s inglorious final stint in 1997/98.

No one would begrudge him what was among the proudest of his career. Even Farhad Moshiri gave a resounding thumbs-up when this victory was confirmed.

Zouma not missed by the Blues

 

Supposedly, Kurt Zouma was Everton’s one that got away last summer.

The failure to land the France international on a permanent deal has largely been pinpointed as where things began to unravel for Silva’s 18-month tenure.

An error-strewn display on his one-time stomping ground begged to differ. Far too often, Zouma found himself on the back foot against his ex-teammates.

None more so than a botched attempt to intercept Djibril Sidibe’s cross before the ball ricocheted off him several times and fell to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

At the other end, meanwhile, Mason Holgate produced another stellar display and made key interceptions, notably to deny Mason Mount from close-range.

Everton may have lost out on Zouma’s signature but his latest Goodison outing suggests it might have been a bullet dodged rather than a missed opportunity.

Tight table revives European dream

 

One of this season’s greatest quirks has been the Premier League table.

A string of wins can propel a team languishing hovering above the relegation zone, or even in it, towards the dizzying heights of European qualification.

Those narrow margins saw Everton yo-yoing between extremes in Silva’s final months in charge; they were always at one end of the spectrum or the other.

But while they are still only two points clear of the bottom three, making up the seven-point gulf on a fifth-placed Manchester United is hardly unattainable.

Next weekend’s trip to Old Trafford offers hopes that, for all the hosts’ strength, Everton can spring a surprise before a struggling Arsenal travel to Goodison.

Whoever is in charge by the end of the current campaign, Evertonians will be hoping that it coincides with the confirmation of yet another European tour.