Although Everton play again today, it is hard to move on from such a landmark mid-week result.
After all, it is not every day that the Toffees win the Merseyside derby, with this victory at Goodison Park having been 14 years in the making.
They have tried and tried for years to overcome Liverpool, to no avail, but in Jurgen Klopp’s final season and final showing in this historic fixture, he was left red-faced as the hosts outclassed them, outran them, and thus outplayed them.
Now, attention must turn to today’s clash with Brentford, but not before the manager gets his flowers.
Darren Fletcher and Paul Robinson praise Sean Dyche
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, a whole host of pundits sought to comb over the midweek results, which saw the entire Premier League table turned on its head.
However, arguably the match with the biggest repercussions at both ends of the division was the Merseyside derby, which saw Everton upset title-chasing Liverpool with an impressive 2-0 win.
With this victory, it is widely regarded that survival is assured, and with that praise has flown in.
Sean Dyche has been a particularly commended man, with pundit and commentator Darren Fletcher noting: ‘I’ve got… I think this is his best managerial season.
‘I mean what he’s had to go through with two points deductions and he’s still managed to keep everybody together and he’s still kept that spirit within… he’s gone through a period where they couldn’t win, double figures couldn’t win, and he still managed to keep them up.
‘I think it’s a remarkable job that he’s done based on everything that’s been thrown at him.
‘And let’s not forget, the summer that he had, he could do virtually nothing by way of strengthening the squad to the level that he wanted to, and he’s still managed with everything that’s been landed on his lap, been able to keep this team in the Premier League relatively comfortably.’
Paul Robinson, who actually played under Dyche at Burnley, would concur: ‘You couldn’t have a better manager in that situation. I mean he’s done an incredible job of his player-manager relationship. His man-management skills are incredible.’
Avoid relegation with Everton is no easy job
Whilst this particular season has seen some of the weakest sides in recent memory battling to avoid the drop, that should not detract from the remarkable feat that Everton and Dyche have achieved this season.
After all, the Toffees’ deductions have played a huge role in their struggles, as without them they would currently sit on 41 points, a whopping 16 points clear of the bottom three.
So, the hope is that next season securing survival will be a far easier job.
Frank Lampard barely avoided the drop during his end to the 2021/22 season, and Dyche was fortunate not to succumb to the Championship’s call the following campaign.
But this season they have been more than good enough to stay up, made even more impressive by these PSR woes and an unrelenting takeover saga which is still no closer to a solution.
Although this is a club seemingly intent on never falling to the drop, achieving that feat in this current climate is no easy job.
So, whilst Dyche has escaped relegation many times with Burnley, and even led them to a European finish in the Premier League, Fletcher’s claim is a valid one regarding this being his best-ever managerial season.
