Everton climbed to the dizzying heights of 15th with a significant win over Brentford.
It was a third victory for Sean Dyche and meant the Blues’ points tally on his watch reached double figures. They are now just two points from 12th - though remain only one point above the bottom three in a relegation battle that has now dragged Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest fully into its orbit.
The nervous following of rival teams is set to continue for some time but different sides are on different trajectories. With that being the case, the ECHO looked at how results compare among the bottom nine since Dyche’s appointment in a bid to offer wider context to the improvement in results.
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So, what do Dyche’s first seven games really tell us about where Everton are in the fight for Premier League survival? The former Burnley boss was given the reigns at Goodison on January 30 following an eight-month stint out of management. At that point Everton sat in the precarious position of 19th in the table with just 15 points on the board. Initially, Dyche’s men put Arsenal to the sword with a James Tarkowski header sealing the three points to the backdrop of a raucous atmosphere at Goodison. However, the new manager bounce was short-lived with a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Liverpool that left many Evertonians even more fearful of the drop.
Just five days later Leeds United travelled to Goodison Park, with the Blues picking up three points courtesy of a 64th minute Seamus Coleman goal. Things began to look up. Then Unai Emery emerged. Aston Villa travelled to Goodison and Everton showed glimpses of quality but the lack of attacking options was present for all to see and missed chances proved costly as Villa clinched a 2-0 win. Following on from that defeat, Dyche’s Everton held out for 40 minutes at top of the table Arsenal before a Bukayo Saka strike broke the deadlock and his side cruised to 4-0 win.
A late Brennan Johnson equaliser cost Everton what would have been a vital win at Nottingham Forest but the 2-2 draw now looks better following the weekend win over Brentford, the two games having been seen as crucial opportunities for points ahead of a tricky run, starting with Chelsea on Saturday. Ten points from seven games is a useful haul for an upwardly mobile Everton. And while there remains work to do, it is the best form of anyone in the relegation fight.
Here is what the other sides have done.
12: Crystal Palace: LDDDLL: Three points
13: Wolves: WWLDLWL: 10 points
14: Nottingham Forest: WLDLDL: Five points
15: Everton: WLWLLDW: 10 points
16: Leicester: WWLLLL: Six points
17: West Ham: DDLWLD: Six points
18: Bournemouth: LDWLLW: Seven points
19: Leeds: LDLLWLD: Five points
20: Southampton: LLWLWD: Seven points
Palace’s horrendous form has seen them fall into the relegation picture as the gap between mid-table and bottom has shortened with the improvement of Everton - coupled with reasonable runs for Bournemouth and Southampton. The two south coast clubs have picked up impressive wins recently to keep themselves in survival contention - and perhaps count themselves unfortunate to still be in the bottom three.
Wolves have matched Everton’s 10 points and of those mentioned look the most likely to stay clear of trouble. Julen Lopetegui has taken the club forward immensely - they were bottom when the Premier League returned after the World Cup, their rise starting at Goodison Park. Leicester and West Ham are two clubs where the managers are under severe pressure as their sides continue to labour when many expected them to have pulled clear by this stage. Several of the teams around Everton have a game in hand on the Blues, who have a torrid run of fixtures coming up. But while the table still holds some demons for Everton, they are the form side since Dyche’s arrival and that renewed impetus has given them a platform to build on.
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