Beating of Tottenham heralded a new era for Blues

THRILLING WIN GAVE FANS RENEWED HOPE OF SURVIVAL - AND MORE

- Joe Thomas

SPURS was the beginning of the change, for me.

By the time Ange Postecoglou’s side visited Goodison Park in mid-January, Everton had already started to become a different club.

The Friedkin Group had completed their takeover just weeks earlier.

And David Moyes had returned to steward the club through another period of turbulence.

The mission was to ensure survival, but the Scot set his heights higher than that and quickly set about taking the Blues up the table.

That began with Spurs. His first game was not the fairytale under the lights we hoped for as Aston Villa snuck away from L4 with a narrow win but the following weekend it felt like players and supporters had had the time to warm up for the second era of Moyes.

It was some performance. The frailties of the side threatened to ruin the occasion later in the game but neither anxiety nor former Gwladys Street favourite Richarlison could find a third goal and Moyes won his second ‘first three points of a reign’ in Royal Blue.

Goodison genuinely felt different that day.

It is easy to forget there were doubts about whether Moyes was the right man for the job, concerns he was aware existed within portions of the fanbase.

But there was also a sense the fresh impetus behind the scenes needed new energy in the dugout.

Sean Dyche had led Everton to stubborn, impressive points against Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City in the previous month and had the backing of TFG.