David Moyes appears to have found his magic touch at Everton once again, orchestrating a commanding 4-0 victory over Leicester City at Goodison Park. The win marks a remarkable turnaround for the Toffees, who have now scored eight goals in their last three matches - all victories.
Just weeks after Moyes claimed he "can't magician" Everton to scoring goals, his team proved otherwise with a performance that began with Abdoulaye Doucoure finding the net just ten seconds into the match. The rapid start left Moyes himself amazed, as he later admitted, "After eight seconds, I was thinking 'my goodness this is fabulous.'"
The victory has lifted Everton to 15th place in the table, putting them nine points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand. It's a stark contrast to their struggles under previous manager Sean Dyche, who managed only three wins in 19 league games this season, with the team failing to score in 11 of those matches.
Portuguese striker Beto emerged as a key figure in the triumph, earning high praise from his manager. "He is a great kid, works hard in training, tries to improve himself," Moyes said of Beto, who stepped up admirably in the absence of injured forwards Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Armando Broja, and Youssef Chermiti.
The atmosphere at Goodison Park reflected the team's resurgence, with one fan even calling for "20 more minutes" when the fourth official's board was shown in stoppage time. After the final whistle, Beto led the celebrations with the Gwladys Street End while Moyes acknowledged the main stand with a beaming smile.
Looking ahead, Everton face a crucial test against table-topping Liverpool in their next league fixture on February 12, a match that was postponed in December due to weather conditions. Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, suggested the timing might work in Everton's favor: "Liverpool will now look back and wish they had played that game against Everton previously. Now, they have to face David Moyes. He knows how to set his team up for a derby and they are in good form now."
Leicester's manager Ruud van Nistelrooy reflected on his team's defeat, noting the challenge of falling behind so early: "After 10 seconds and five minutes you are 2-0 down at Goodison against a team with most clean sheets. You give yourselves a mountain to climb and didn't come back from that."
Moyes remains measured despite the recent success, stating, "I am certainly not getting carried away... The players have just given themselves a bit of confidence and positivity. We are only trying to give them as much confidence as we can. We have got a good strong base defensively and trying to find ways to score a few more."
