David Moyes has liberated Everton from the Dyche straitjacket and is reaping the rewards

While it took Sean Dyche half a season to make an impact, David Moyes has managed to achieve similar results in just two weeks. Everton dismissed a manager after securing only three wins from 19 Premier League matches. Moyes, in contrast, has doubled that win count in just three games.

Under Dyche, Everton scored just seven league goals from open play over four months. Since Moyes took charge, they’ve netted seven more in their last two home games. This sudden surge in form has lifted Everton 10 points clear of the relegation zone. “I wish I was 10 points clear at the top of the league,” joked Moyes, but his return has revitalized the team, making him look every bit like Everton’s savior.

Moyes took over a squad struggling to score, but a poor Leicester side helped set the stage for improvement. Just 137 years after joining the Football League, Abdoulaye Doucoure scored Everton’s fastest-ever goal. “After 10 seconds, I thought, ‘This is fabulous,’” Moyes remarked.

Swift starts are nothing new for Moyes at Everton; in his first stint, the team scored within 27 seconds. This time, Everton made an immediate impact: a goal in 10.18 seconds, two in six minutes, and three wins from four games. His arrival has made a mockery of comparisons to Dyche. While both share a pragmatic approach, Moyes is more inclined to push forward. “The players have just given themselves a bit of confidence and positivity,” he humbly said.

Under Moyes, Everton have been released from Dyche’s restrictive tactics, playing with more freedom and flair. In their recent games at Goodison Park, they’ve led 3-0 at halftime, something almost surreal given the club’s previous struggles. Unlikely players like Jordan Pickford and James Tarkowski even contributed assists before most fans had even settled in.

Pickford’s assist was a lightning-quick moment, with the goal coming in just 10.18 seconds, the fourth-fastest in Premier League history and the fastest at Goodison. It was also a damning reflection of Leicester’s defensive woes, with their manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy, lamenting, “It was too easy. The game was lost after six minutes.”

In a stark contrast of managerial fortunes, Leicester have now lost eight of their last nine games under Van Nistelrooy, with only a surprise win over Tottenham breaking the streak. With the team struggling and in danger of another managerial change, Leicester’s future looks uncertain.

Mads Hermansen returned to Leicester’s goal after a seven-week absence, only to concede in the 11th second, as Doucoure controlled a long ball from Pickford and slotted it past the defense. Beto’s first-ever brace for Everton followed, with two well-executed goals, the first from Tarkowski and the second from James Garner. Despite a dominant performance, Leicester’s defense looked vulnerable and disorganized.

Everton added a fourth goal, with Iliman Ndiaye capitalizing on a defensive mix-up between Wout Faes and Caleb Okoli. It was a display of utter ineptitude from Leicester, a team that appeared completely toothless. Van Nistelrooy called it “disappointing,” though the fans’ frustration was more direct, with chants of “We’re going down” and calls to “sack the board.”

In a clash between two clubs that have made managerial changes this season, there was a clear winner.

MSNfootballNews

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