Everton returned to winning ways in a hard-fought clash with Brentford.
Dwight McNeil scored the only goal of the game after just 35 seconds with a powerful drive inside the penalty area to beat David Raya in the Park End net.
The victory moved Sean Dyche’s side back up to 15th place in the Premier League table, giving them a two-point cushion from the relegation zone.
Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:
Dyche’s side dig for victory again
Everton knew exactly what they were getting when appointing Sean Dyche.
Hard work and grinding out victories are staples of the 51-year-old’s coaching DNA and, arguably, a primary motivation in the battle to avoid relegation.
Successive home wins against Arsenal and Leeds United were exemplars of Dyche’s specialty of Premier League survival at the outset of his tenure.
Even by those standards, his side had to cling on by their fingernails against a Brentford team arriving at Goodison Park unbeaten in their last 12 games.
A breakneck start, underscored by Dwight McNeil’s early opener, saw the Blues pressing relentlessly and fashioning a myriad of first-half chances.
Had they been clinical in those moments, Demarai Gray’s disallowed goal shortly before the interval would not have appeared a frustrating blow.
But a complete shift in the direction of traffic during the next 45 minutes left Everton facing another battle to keep their much-coveted maximum points.
That Dyche was able to drill his players to see it through to the final whistle is testament to the tangible progress which has been made under his watch.
Goodison hears the siren’s call again
Just moments before kick-off, an unmistakeable sound could be heard.
Since its introduction little more than four years ago, the Goodison siren had soundtracked Evertonians’ match day experience – even through a pandemic.
But 13 months had passed since that call to arms last rang out, as a mark of respect to Vitalii Mykolenko following Russia’s invasion of his native Ukraine.
Picking up where it previously left off, the siren stirred something inside the Grand Old Lady, having initially caught the 39,036 inside her by surprise.
The crackle which often greeted the initial strands that built up to the iconic drumbeat of Z-Cars returned with a vengeance and struck the right chord.
Hearing the siren’s call again transformed a cold, damp and potentially dismal afternoon into a battle cry for the Goodison faithful to bare its teeth again.
Fans responded in kind and, as was the case on its debut in March 2019, they left the famous old stadium toasting a result which all had hoped to achieve.
Resurgent Blues make England case
Gareth Southgate paid another semi-regular visit to Goodison to check in on his potential inclusions ahead of next week’s England squad announcement.
No doubt he was keeping tabs mostly on Jordan Pickford, still in exemplary form, but his Everton teammates made compelling cases for their inclusions.
The defensive exploits of James Tarkowski, Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey saw the triumvirate put themselves in contention for national team recalls.
Others, however, also caught the eye for the onlooking Three Lions coach.
Neither McNeil nor Gray have received senior call-ups for their country, yet both showcased what they can offer against the previously unbeaten Bees.
The winger’s 35-second winner was sweetly struck but told merely half the tale of his ongoing resurgence in the royal blue shirt since Dyche’s arrival.
McNeil has been flying since his former Burnley manager took the reins, starting every game and brimming with a confidence which continues to soar.
Although used sparingly by comparison, Gray also repaid Dyche’s with an unrelenting 86-minute outing which merited a goal despite VAR’s intervention.
There is likely to be mixed news when Southgate confirms his squad next Thursday to face Italy and Ukraine in Euro 2024 qualifying later this month.
Make no mistake, though, Everton’s resurgent charges are giving the England boss plenty of food for thought ahead of that final decision.