Our Everton jury have returned to have their say on the 3-0 Premier League win over Chelsea and the atmosphere inside Hill Dickinson Stadium
Everton boosted their chances of European qualification with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Chelsea on Saturday. The Blues secured back-to-back home league wins for the first time this season thanks to goals from Beto and Iliman Ndiaye.
Beto opened the scoring midway through the first-half before an error from Robert Sanchez doubled his side’s lead just after the hour mark. Ndiaye sealed all three points for the Blues when he fired a lovely curling effort into the roof of the net.
The Blues are now eighth in the Premier League table, and our Everton jury have returned to have their say on the win.
Mark McParlan
On Saturday evening we were treated to a superb, sublime, scintillating (among many other adjectives) display by our football team.
It was a tremendous win. The passionate atmosphere at Hill Dickinson Stadium was utterly riotous and the noise the most intense we’ve heard yet.
This is our new home – it is time to stop doubting that. The city centre was heaving with Evertonians before and after the match, wearing those colours with pride.
David Moyes highlighted the effect of the 5.30 Saturday kick-off time in his post-match press conference, and I think all fans would agree with him.
That’s back-to-back convincing home wins now, scoring multiple goals with clean sheets to boot. We completely played Chelsea off the park.
Their defence could not cope with a rampant Beto, whose two goals and assist were hopefully showcasing the return of last season’s springtime form.
We have quality players – Iliman Ndiaye with his perfect goal into the top corner and James Garner’s all-round performances, which have deservedly forced their way into the England squad for the first time.
We defended resolutely out of possession and controlled the threat from the midfield. Idrissa Gueye’s experienced reading of the game and surprising burst of pace to make Beto’s second was a joy. Jordan Pickford continues to be the best shot-stopper in the land.
We’ve got a break now before we head to Brentford, which is a crucial fixture. Brentford are the team lying in seventh place.
This is the first step on any path to European football – we need to be finishing ahead of them. It would be nice to exact revenge against a team who had beaten us at home (as we did to Newcastle).
Our next home fixture is, of course, the derby, which suddenly represents an extremely tantalising prospect. They are only three points ahead of us. If that fixture presents an opportunity to leapfrog our bitter rivals, it must be embraced – the Evertonians will certainly be up for it!
I just hope the Friedkins have got their affairs in order on any potential conflict if Roma qualify for Europe too – we saw what happened to Crystal Palace.
Paul McParlan
Everton fans at Hill Dickinson Stadium have waited patiently for over eight months to see the team deliver the type of spellbinding display to match the glittering, glamorous grandeur of our futuristic new stadium. Finally, on Saturday, it happened! It had been worth the wait.
It has been difficult at times for fans, who will forever have memories of Goodison engraved on their hearts, to adapt to our new surroundings. A series of dismal home displays, a sequence of ridiculously inconvenient nighttime kick-offs and well-documented transport issues have not helped Evertonians to fully embrace the new arena. This time it was different.
The atmosphere was intense; you could feel the passion everywhere, in the bars in the city centre, on the approach to HDS and inside the venue itself. The daytime start helped, as did the result from Brighton earlier, and the Samba band played their part as well. There had been some criticism that HDS lacked the venomous, vituperative vibrancy of Goodison. Chelsea were the perfect opponents to change that perception.
There was a smouldering sense of volcanic anger that Chelsea had been treated leniently by the Premier League for numerous financial transgressions, compared to the punitive points deduction dished out to Everton. You could sense that antagonistic animosity from the moment the game started. The stadium came alive. The cacophony of sound that reverberated all over HDS was off the scale, and Chelsea simply wilted. Everton responded by delivering their best performance of the season.
They dominated from the start, winning every 50/50 tackle. James Garner ran the midfield, showing exactly why he has been called up for the England squad. Iliman Ndiaye tormented their defenders and delivered a sumptuous finish for our third goal. Beto had his finest game in an Everton shirt and showed that if he is given the right service, he can deliver.
The striker has been the subject of criticism this season, but he has worked hard in training and grabbed his chance. His two goals and an assist meant he deservedly won the man of the match award. The rousing reception that echoed everywhere when he came off was in stark contrast to the smattering of boos that greeted his replacement. Thierno Barry appears to have some bridges to build with Evertonians after recent events.
There was a frenzy of post-match celebrations which revived memories of those special days at Goodison. The singing and chanting emanating from the staircases, the concourses, the fan plaza and onto the Dock Road was a joy to behold.
It has taken a while for the HDS to feel truly like home. It is never going to be Goodison; it can’t compete with the heritage of our former stadium, but it can now start to create its own history. Playing in the daylight last Saturday gave a tantalising glimpse of what a fantastic venue it can be. And I loved it!
