Everton have remembered how to win. The Sean Dyche era started in victorious fashion as two Burnley old boys combined to lift the mood around Goodison Park and inflict only a second league defeat of the season on leaders Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s title contenders were easily subdued by a classic case of new manager bounce.
James Tarkowski headed home a Dwight McNeil corner to give their former Burnley manager the perfect start in his attempt to preserve Everton’s Premier League status. Without a league win since October, Everton put in a prodigious shift to stifle an Arsenal team unbeaten in 14 league games and end their own sorry run of results. Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucouré, superb throughout, sunk to their knees on the final whistle out of pure relief and exhaustion. Dyche had questioned whether Everton still knew how to win during Burnley’s victory over Frank Lampard’s team last season. Those doubts have been banished on day one.
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