With bottom-five finishes in the last three seasons, it’s been a torrid time to be an Evertonian. After a dismal run of opening games with four losses in four, Toffees fans must have had their heads in their hands once again. But Sean Dyche’s men have bounced back over the last three fixtures with three points finishes, including a stirring result over Crystal Palace which gave them their first victory of the season.
The run of points, coupled with the psychological boost brought about by the end of Farhad Moshiri’s chaotic reign, brings a precious ray of sunshine to the Goodison faithful, and may just set the wheels in motion for a more successful 2024/25 season, or at least one above the choppy waters of another relegation battle. We’re still only seven games in, but could this be the diving off point for a survive and thrive year?
Victory at last
While the Toffees are still priced at 2.95 for the drop by LeoVegas, who have been active in Premier League betting circles for some time, and are also the top-rated site at CasinoAlpha, their first victory of 2024/25 has brought a wave of optimism to the club and its supporters. Everton went into the game against Palace on the back of a draw in treacherous conditions — and with an injury and illness-affected squad — at Leicester, their first point of the season.
Palace are also a club on the back foot, and are still yet to win in the league this year, so it was a make or break situation for both sides. And it was the visitors that seized the initiative at Goodison, with a goal courtesy of England centre-half Marc Guehi after just ten minutes, stabbing the ball into the back of the net from a corner.
The lead stood until half-time, but Palace couldn’t capitalise on their advantage and were duly punished. Dwight McNeil scored a second-half brace to sink the Eagles, a superb curling effort to put Everton back on terms, before rifling his second in on 54 minutes from the corner of the six-yard box. This sparked the kind of jubilant scenes fans have been missing at Goodison Park in recent months, and Everton hung on to claim their first victory of the year. “A lot of relief” summarised Sean Dyche in his post-match interview, “after a lot of demand.”
A Kickstart for the Season?
Spurred on by the victory, the Toffees faced a buoyant Newcastle side in the next game, the Magpies having held Manchester City to an unexpected draw in their last outing. A tense game saw Jordan Pickford save a penalty to gain another point on the board, a result most Everton supporters would have been pleased with. It could be that the tide is finally turning, and with Ipswich, Fulham, and strugglers Southampton on the horizon, there is a real chance to gain some momentum in this campaign.
Everton are also buoyed by new ownership — The Friedkin Group, who also own AS Roma in Serie A, have taken over from Farhad Moshiri, putting a full stop on an era of mismanagement and turmoil that had seen growing dissatisfaction amongst fans, not to mention a revolving door of managers and point deductions in the league. Will this be the turning point for the Toffees?
Well, it remains to be seen, seven games in and anything can happen. But hope and optimism have been slightly restored as Everton raise themselves to sixth in the table. Hopefully they can push on, and make 2024/25 a season to remember for all the right reasons.