Dyche steels Toffees for life after the bounce
Everton manager Sean Dyche (left) and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the Premier League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool. Picture Peter Byrne/PA Wire.Â
In his usual no nonsense way, Sean Dyche was quick to put a sharp perspective on the euphoria sweeping around Goodison Park.
Inflicting only the second defeat of the season on the Premier League leaders may have been a dream start to his managerial tenure at Everton but Dyche is not the sort to get carried away.
Just moments after the final whistle, he was telling the players who had, to a man, given him 96 minutes of graft, energy, aggression and determination that they had set the bar for what he expects in every game from now until the end of the season.
Dyche is well aware that after the so-called 'new manager bounce' wears off , the old complacency can creep back in and Everton still need a lot of points to climb clear of the drop zone - with an intriguing Merseyside derby against a crisis-hit Liverpool team at Anfield next up a week today (Mon).
"What you saw was the base requirement of what I believe is right for the team - any team," he said. " I have a way of operating and it starts with the base. And then when that base is in place we hope to allow the freedom to come.
"Consistent values is what I am after. It is not just win or lose. Win or lose, the consistency must stay the same and your work ethic stays the same. Authenticity is a word I used at the last place [Burnley] and that is the fact you come in and do the right things all of the time - but it does take time.
"I am not stupid, I have been in the game for a long time: the Big Brother cameras are on at the moment, everyone is on their best behaviour, we are polished and shiny. What about when that eases down? Are we still doing the right things, giving everything to the cause? Are we still aligned? Is every player’s nose still pointing in the right direction?
"Trust me, I will enjoy that win - I'll have a couple of beers tonight - but I have already parked it. That's a good start, right what are we doing Monday how are we moving forward? It will be the end of the season when we have got the job done that I will really enjoy it."
It was fitting that two of the players who played such key roles for Dyche in his Burnley days should combine for the winner, with Dwight McNeil delivering the perfect corner for James Tarkowski to use all his strength and determination to out-muscle his marker Martin Odegaard and power home a header on the hour.
It was no more than Everton deserved. They had pressed high, put in the hard yards, won the majority of the tackles and duels and squeezed the life out of Arsenal's creative players - as well as creating more chance than the League leaders.
All the frustration and disappointment from Everton followers over their failure to bring in reinforcements during the transfer window was swept away as Dyche somehow brought out the best in players who had under-performed under Frank Lampard, something captain Seamus Coleman had admitted.
"Seamus and a few of the players have criticised themselves and admitted they felt they let the last manager down. And sometimes players have to hold their hands up," said Dyche. "They are good footballers and sometimes you forget that. We showed them some of what they have done in the past, their histories, what they have achieved. I reminded them that that you don't get to play for Everton Football Club unless you are a good player."
The defeat shook Arsenal with manager Mikel Arteta admitted his team couldn't cope with Everton's robust approach.
"They do this to every team, their strength is their height and physicality, if you want to control the game against them you have to control this. We did not do that. We needed more composure and to emotionally control the game better. We gave away so many unnecessary free-kicks and that's what they want. We lacked that purpose and quality in the final third. But then we conceded and they slowed the game down and we struggled."
Pickford 7; Coleman 7, Coady 7, Tarkowski 8, Mykolenko 6; McNeil 7, Doucoure 7, Onana 7, Gueye 7, Iwobi 7; Calvert-Lewin 7 (Maupay 62, 5)Â
Begovic, Holgate, Gray, Mina, Godfrey, Davies, Vinagre, Simms.
Ramsdale 7; White 5 (Tomiyasu 84, 5), Saliba 5, Gabriel 6, Zinchenko 6; Partey 5 (Jorginho 60, 5), Odegaard 5 (Vieira 77, 5), Xhaka 5; Saka 5, Nketiah 5, Martinelli 4 (Trossard 60, 5)
Turner, Tierney, Kiwior, Holding, Cozier-Duberry.
David Coote 7
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