Everton scored twice in the opening six minutes, including the fourth fastest goal in Premier League history, to thrash woeful Leicester City at Goodison Park.
The match was billed as a crucial bottom-of-the-table meeting but the Toffees’ brilliant first half helped send them 10 points clear of the relegation zone as the Foxes remain in real trouble, one point above the bottom three.
Abdoulaye Doucoure latched on to Jordan Pickford’s punt upfield and slid home a low finish after just 10.18 seconds to give David Moyes’ side a dream start.
The goal was the fastest ever scored by an Everton player and only Shane Long, Philip Billing and Ledley King have netted quicker in the competition.
It got even better for the hosts minutes later, helped by static Leicester defending as Beto ran onto James Tarkowski’s ball through the middle of the park and converted past Mads Hermansen.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s men were all over the place and were fortunate not to concede another on 20 minutes when Jake O’Brien poked home at the far post, but the towering defender was flagged offside.
The game was effectively over as a contest before half-time as James Garner’s pass sliced through the Leicester defence and Beto side-footed home a cool finish.
Everton controlled the game in the second half and barely allowed Leicester a sniff, as Iliman Ndiaye slotted home a late fourth for three consecutive victories.
Moyes get his boys firing
Moyes’ nostalgic return to Everton a few weeks ago started in inconspicuous manner with a home defeat by Aston Villa.
But the speed at which the Scot has turned things around has been remarkable, with the side collecting consecutive victories against Tottenham, Brighton and now Leicester to move up to 15th in the table and away from danger.
Former manager Sean Dyche struggled to get a tune out of the team in the final third, with the Toffees failing to score in 12 league games this season, but they have found their rhythm and netted eight times under Moyes.
Doucoure’s goal provided a blistering start and Beto stepped in as the club’s only fit senior striker, showing clinical prowess in front of goal with two well-taken strikes.
The three first-half goals put Everton out of sight and Ndiaye’s industry contributed a fourth but it could have been even more emphatic – Garner seeing an effort at the near post pushed away by Hermansen and Doucoure blazing over from eight yards out.
Firing up front and watertight at the back, Everton have now kept nine clean sheets in the league this season with Nottingham Forest and Merseyside rivals Liverpool, who they face next, the only sides to keep more.
Foxes fans vent fury
Leicester’s travelling supporters were singing “we’re going down” in the opening minutes of the game, highlighting the trouble the team are in.
They were further chants calling for the removal of director of football Jon Rudkin, who was in attendance at Goodison Park, and that disconnect with the supporters will not have gone unnoticed.
Last Sunday’s impressive 2-1 win at Spurs proved only to be a rare bright note on an otherwise rotten run of form, with Dutchman Van Nistelrooy overseeing seven defeats in the last eight games.
Jamie Vardy was left isolated up front and was substituted on the hour mark as the veteran striker and his team-mates conjured just one shot on target, through Patson Daka in the second period.
But their problems lie at the back, where they have kept just one clean sheet all campaign, and the four conceded here were all too easy for Everton.
Manager Van Nistelrooy can park the league woes next Friday when he heads back to former club Manchester United, aiming to cause a shock in the FA Cup fourth round.
