George Overhill

Sat 4 February 2023 14:30, UK

Gary Lineker said the first Everton goal of the Sean Dyche era against Arsenal was “made in Burnley” in his instant reaction online.

In the Clarets boss’ first game in charge of the Toffees it was two of his former players at Turf Moor who combined to put the home side ahead at Goodison Park.

James Tarkowski overpowered Martin Odegaard to get his head on a Dwight McNeil corner on the hour in a noticeably lifted performance under the new manager.

Reacting on his personal Twitter account Lineker wrote: “A goal made in Burnley as Dyche’s Everton take the lead.”

Hope

This was the kind of showing that was exactly what was hoped for when Dyche was appointed, and there will need to be a great deal more like it to rescue this season.

Having come in at the tail end of the January transfer window and not see any new signings arrive the manager might have hoped for an easier assignment than the current league leaders.

But in some ways that may have helped in that on paper Everton should have had no chance, and there’s nothing that Dyche likes more than being a thorn in the side of the big sides.

If this is a blue print for the Dyche era then there were plenty of signs that there is life in the fight against relegation yet.

A set of players who looked like the belief had drained out of them at the tail end of Frank Lampard’s time in charge suddenly had fight again.

The likes of Neal Maupay, who looked little more than a spare part since his arrival from Brighton in the summer, showed the difference as he was the professional irritant for the Gunners backline that he was signed to be.

It is a huge three points to lift Everton out of the bottom three and a majorly positive indicator for the rest of the campaign.