International friendly

Everton 3 Chelsea 6

It is fitting, in this period surrounding Holy Week, that as I write these words at teatime on Tuesday, I feel in cosmic communion with United fans across the world.

Everton hosting Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Wednesday was always going to be a tough game for the Toffees, as their opponents had won three on the bounce and surged from relegation candidates to relative mid-table safety under the guidance of the experienced Tony Pulis.

Tomorrow’s meeting of Liverpool and Manchester City is probably the most eagerly anticipated Premier League game for neutrals this season, as England’s two highest-scoring teams meet in a game which will go a long way to deciding the outcome of the 2014 title race.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits his side needs to secure Champions League football to keep the club attractive in the transfer market.

Everton 1 West Ham 0

Alan Hansen suggested this week that tonight’s Merseyside derby at Anfield is the biggest in the league in almost 30 years.

You hear a lot of sentences around Old Trafford starting “it’s only....” these days. “It’s only Sociedad/Sunderland/Norwich,” comes the grumble, after Moyes’ team has disposed of someone its critics don’t rate as “meaningful” opposition.

NONE of you will have been too surprised by the way Goodison turned out, I daresay: after an apocalypse like City, defensive caution and an overall sense of non-event were only to be expected.

LONG gone are the days when the Merseyside derby brought a nation to a standstill.

ALEX FERGUSON has admitted Manchester United’s trips to Everton are always “a nightmare” even without taking into account the Wayne Rooney factor.

LET us look forward, not back, dear reader. And that’s not just to avoid discussing Goodison. (Which is easily summed up: an ongoing makeshift defence; a Rooney off-day; the post-Milan hangover. Move on.)

WOLVES midfielder Matt Jarvis atoned for missing an open goal by scoring the winner in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over League One Tranmere at Prenton Park last night.

FT: Tranmere 0 Wolves 1

THERE are 2-2 draws and then there are 2-2 draws.

Everton 1 Aston Villa 1

Everton 1 Aston Villa 1

Everton expect the transfer of striker Andrew Johnson to Fulham to be completed in the next 24 hours.

THEY will probably be complaining about the extra workload and inconvenience of having to play on a Thursday night by the time they reach the group stages in the autumn.

A Donegal man has been convicted of killing his friend in a dangerous driving incident in Co Louth in which several witnesses said he appeared asleep as he drove on the wrong side of the road.

DAVID MOYES has always been careful when discussing his Everton team’s chances of finishing in the Champions League places and the past week shows exactly why he has been so cautious.

TIM CAHILL scripted his comeback to perfection with his first goal in almost a year as Everton secured victory in their UEFA Cup Group A opener against Greek outfit Larissa.

The Examiner’s football correspondent Liam Mackey likes a good argument when he hears it, and he’s got strong views of his own.

WE begin today with a special message for all those airline pilots who, research tells us, are avid readers of these pages.

Everton 3 Portsmouth 0

DAVID MOYES paid tribute to Everton’s resilience as they grabbed an injury-time winner against Charlton to force themselves a step nearer UEFA Cup qualification.

Everton 2 Charlton 1

Everton 1 Reading 1

Everton manager David Moyes revealed how a half-time “rollicking” for rookie striker Victor Anichebe inspired his side’s 3-0 Barclays Premiership demolition of Newcastle.

Everton have denied any wrongdoing in the transfer of their former striker Ibrahima Bakayoko to Marseille in July 1999.

EVERTON assistant boss Alan Irvine has revealed how the club’s players have found themselves in a mental trough after failing to build on last season’s fourth-placed finish.

Everton boss David Moyes condemned his red carded pair Phil Neville and Mikel Arteta as “stupid” as the Merseysiders’ traumatic season plunged even further into crisis.

Everton 1 Chelsea 1

David Moyes does not need to look at the Premiership table to understand the hole Everton have found themselves in this season.

SO HERE IT COMES. The big one. The crunch. Le grand fromage. The mother of all battles. A city derby with bells on. A true Premiership clash of giants. The game of the season. Maybe even the game of the century.

England look certain to be without Wayne Rooney for their first two World Cup qualifiers.

Everton manager David Moyes has described the idea that Wayne Rooney is too big for Goodison as “laughable nonsense”.

The teams for Jamaica v Rep of Ireland at The Valley have been announced (k.o. 7.45pm).

Tranmere 1 Millwall 2

Tranmere defenders Sean Connelly and Ian Goodison return to the team for the FA Cup quarter-final replay against Millwall tonight.

JOHN ACHTERBERG got the reward he deserved, according to Tranmere manager Brian Little, after recovering from a knee injury to earn his side an FA Cup quarter-final replay against Millwall with a dramatic penalty save.