Duncan Ferguson ended his Everton caretaker with a draw against Arsenal.
With new manager Carlo Ancelotti watching on from the directors’ box, the Blues still struggled to break down a stubborn north Londoners’ side.
Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:
Lunchtime lull ends all-square
So much for a new manager bounce.
Confirmation of Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment saw giddy excitement swirling around Goodison Park in the build-up to the visit of a struggling Arsenal side.
By the time the game kicked off, however, any residue of that feelgood factor had already evoporated into the winter skies above the Grand Old Lady.
Whether the news or Wednesday’s Carabao Cup exit to Leicester City had knocked the wind out of the Blues’ sails, something was clearly lacking.
Impartial observers watching this could be forgiven for wondering whether either of these sides were soon set to have new men in the dugout.
Arsenal, fresh from appointing a manager themselves in ex-Everton favourite Mikel Arteta, were supposed to be there for the taking but proved stubborn.
Hopes of a high-noon encounter ultimately turned into a lunchtime lull. It is fair to say few will be looking back on this game with any particular fondness.
Big Dunc still signs off on a high
Even with this stalemate, Duncan Ferguson still consider it a job well done.
His remit of steadying Everton through choppy waters has been successfully negotiated after recording an unbeaten run of four games in all competitions.
This was by no means the swashbuckling old school approach which became synonymous with Big Dunc’s coaching style as much as his playing heyday.
Indeed, Everton’s first-half approach left a lot to be desired; possibly tempered by attempts to make an early impression on the watching Ancelotti.
Standards improved after the interval as Dominic Calvert-Lewin toiled single-handed against the visitors’ defence due to Cenk Tosun again underwhelming
Ferguson’s ability to raise the bar from the embers of Marco Silva’s tenure gave Everton’s long-suffering fan base something to finally be proud of.
That the former striker has already been included in Ancelotti’s new-look coaching setup underlines how valuable his contributions will remain.
Tosun gets the Kean treatment
An Everton substitute being hooked off is becoming a regular occurrence.
Moise Kean suffered the ignominy in last weekend’s draw with Manchester United after 18 minutes and it was Tosun’s turn to receive similar treatment.
The Turkey international lasted significantly longer than his Italian counterpart, having come on for an injured Alex Iwobi early in the first half.
Yet Ferguson again showed his ruthless side by hooking a severely under-performing Tosun for Kean just 10 minutes from the end of normal time.
Clearly the decision rankled the former Besiktas man, who immediately stormed down the tunnel and into the dressing room after leaving the pitch.
Unfortunately for Tosun, Everton’s motto is set to again be their standard and, putting it incredibly politely, his was below-par.
Over to you, Carlo…
Ancelotti officially begins his Goodison reign on Sunday, leading up to the visit of Burnley on Boxing Day and the serial winner already has his work cut out.
If the previous few weeks under Ferguson have shown Everton’s best qualities, this was an indication of the task ahead of the AC Milan legend.
Defensively they left a lot to be desired and the lack of cohesion in midfield, despite Tom Davies and Fabian Delph’s best efforts, is a legitimate concern.
Ancelotti is under no illusions that transforming Everton was never going to happen overnight and will require ample patience to get them to that stage.
His track record speaks for itself, having won three Champions Leagues and the Premier League title in a glittering career across Europe’s top five leagues.
This will be his sternest challenge yet but clearly one which he, and Evertonians, are relishing seeing through from its challenging roots.