Pragmatists could be forgiven for expecting Everton's hopes of a Premier League revival under Sean Dyche to properly get underway after the Blues' had hosted league-leaders Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime.
But the former Burnley boss, known for his no-nonsense approach, had other ideas, masterminding a spirited 1-0 home win, that sent a shockwave through the Premier League title race, but more importantly boosted Everton's hopes of lifting themselves away from the relegation zone.
The win itself did temporarily move the Toffees out of the bottom three, but only for coupe of hours, before Liverpool suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers - something that would normally be celebrated by the Blue half of Merseyside.
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Nevertheless, it was a perfect start for Everton under Dyche and the new chief will be looking ahead to where he can pick up points across the Blues' upcoming matches, starting across Stanley Park.
Here's a look at Everton's next six fixtures.
Liverpool (away) - Monday, February 13
To put it simply, there couldn't be a better time to face neighbours Liverpool, who are currently experiencing an unprecedented drop-off. A shocking 3-0 loss at Wolves was preceded by a 2-1 FA Cup exit at Brighton, who dished a out a 3-0 drubbing of their to the Reds own in the league two weeks earlier.
Troubled Jurgen Klopp will still be without the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino on Monday week and if Dyche can get his players running hard again, the Blues will be well placed to get their first win at Anfield in front of spectators since 1999. That's a prospect that seemed pretty unlikely only a few weeks ago.
Leeds United (home) - Saturday, February 18
This one has the feel of a six-pointer about it. Jesse Marsch's side have no wins in the Premier League since November 12. Currently level on points with the Blues, Leeds are precisely the type of the side Everton need to be beating at home if they are to keep their proud top-flight status intact for another season.
Aston Villa (home) - Saturday, February 25
Another home game is just what the doctor ordered for Dyche when mid-table Villa roll into town. The Birmingham club have already dispensed with the services of Steven Gerrard this season but under Unai Emery they have shown signs of real improvement until their 4-2 home loss to Leicester City on Saturday.
If the Arsenal result can be explained away with 'new manager bounce' then this will be a real test of just how much Goodison Park can be a fortress in the second half of the season.
Nottingham Forest (away) - Saturday, March 5
Forest have signed that many players in the last two transfer windows, it's difficult to know who would even be playing for them, let alone what sort of performance to expect. Unlike the Blues, Steve Cooper's side have tried to spend their way out of trouble in what could be quite a big gamble, but whether that tactic pays off or not, the City Ground has never been an easy place to visit. They currently sit three points above Everton and are unbeaten in four matches.
Brentford (home) - Saturday, March 11
The Bees have been one of the surprise success stories of the season, with Thomas Frank's side currently flying high in seventh. Ivan Toney is a real threat up top and has 13 goals to his name so far in the current campaign.
However, Brentford have only won away from home twice all season and that should give Everton plenty of cause for optimism.
Chelsea (away) - Saturday, March 18
While Everton were unable to reinvest the £40million they recouped on Anthony Gordon last month, Chelsea went out and spent over £291million on eight players. But just like the challenge facing Dyche, Graham Potter needs to try and get a tune out of his expensively assembled squad in order make progress up the table. This feels like a tough one for Everton, but they can look to the example set by Fulham on Friday evening when it comes to how to get a result at Stamford Bridge.
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