Sean Dyche has ordered his Everton players to park last night’s rousing win over Liverpool and focus on taking another giant step towards Premier League safety against Brentford on Saturday.
The Toffees moved eight points clear of the bottom three after goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin proved enough to see off Jurgen Klopp’s men at a raucous Goodison Park.
Read our other football news stories here:
Dyche happy to wait on Calvert-Lewin fitness
Liverpool target Ruben Amorim linked with West Ham
Van Dijk talks up Slot philosophy amid Liverpool rumours
Another win this weekend may prove enough to preserve their top-flight status for another year if results elsewhere go their way.
Looking back at the Liverpool game, Dyche said: “Obviously, very pleased, for a number of reasons.
“Firstly, the literal performance, which was very good. The tactical side of the game, which is always a wonder to a manager and coaches; have we got it right? Can we deliver it? And they did.
“And then when you add in the fans in the stadium, who I though were terrific – and I thought it was same against [Nottingham] Forest as well.
“It was a win on all levels, not just three points.”
Dyche is demanding more of the same against a Brentford side one place and two points better off.
He added: “I said to the players immediately after last night, they’ve got to enjoy it. It means a lot to the fans in this locality – and to me, of course.
“But it has to be parked because another one is coming around. Another important game, another chance, another opportunity to play at Goodison and get three points, so there is a lot on the next game.
“It’s not easy. They are no ‘gimmies’ in this league. I praised the players first last night and then said ‘right, tomorrow we come in and get on with business’.
“We’ve taken big steps, but there are more to come. We can control the situation ourselves, and that’s what we have always aimed to do – even with the points taken away and all that sort of stuff. Grip hold of it and let’s run with it and I think we’re beginning to show that again.”
A sensational performance from our number nine. 🦋
With 35% of the votes, DCL is your #EVELIV POTM! ⭐️ HTTPS://T.CO/EZGZWHNKCQ PIC.TWITTER.COM/C2SUDXY1IV
— Everton (@Everton) APRIL 25, 2024
Calvert-Lewin tormented Liverpool’s central defenders Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate with a physically imposing display capped by a towering header that secured the win.
He may have left it too late to force his way into Gareth Southgate’s thinking for Euro 2024 but Dyche was delighted to see him back to his best.
He said: “This season, he hasn’t been too bad on the injury front but it just goes to show you when you’ve had a couple of indifferent years with injuries, it does take time to clear your mind of it, clear your body of it and to have that total freedom.
“And that’s what we planned, me and him, to get to a point where he can play freely, and he’s had moments that he has done. I thought last night he was outstanding. I said to him, that’s the kind of form and performance that gets you back around that England thinking.
“It’s too early yet; I’m not making big, bold statements or anything like that. I know Gareth will have players who he thinks are relevant to his group, but certainly with that type of feeling towards [Calvert-Lewin’s] performance – and of course, scoring – he should be recognised where he is as a top centre forward in my opinion.”
