That Everton can play out the final three games of their Premier League campaign without the threat of relegation looming overhead is a testament to the job that Sean Dyche has overseen as manager.
Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Brentford, their third win at home in seven days, ensured that Everton cannot be caught, as they are now 11 points clear of the relegation zone.
There has been even more for the Merseyside club to contend with than the previous two campaigns. Not only have they suffered the loss of eight points for breaches of the league’s Profit & Sustainability Rules but the uncertainty regarding the club’s finances and ownership has further clouded the picture.
It is therefore worth noting that without the points deduction Everton would be level in the standings with Brighton & Hove Albion — and given the constant challenges that Dyche’s team have had to contend with, it has been difficult to ascertain quite where they sit in the division.
However, four successive wins at Goodison Park, all with clean sheets, only serve to demonstrate how businesslike Everton have been in sowing up their top-flight safety for the 71st year in succession. This current home run is the club’s best sequence since the 2018/19 season.
There have been numerous bumps along the road this term — one standout being the 6-0 loss at Stamford Bridge 13 days ago which came amidst those four home victories but was not a true reflection of the discipline and structure with which Dyche sets up his side.
Going a club-record 13 Premier League games without a win will also have been an unwanted accolade. Yet, there have been signs that Dyche’s methods have yielded rewards.
It would be no exaggeration to say that Everton’s three best players have all been defenders: goalkeeper Jordan Pickford along with centre-backs James Tarkowski and Jarred Branthwaite. But the influence of Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Garner should not go unnoticed either.
There has undoubtedly been a reliance on set-pieces (accounting for 49 per cent of their league goals) and more creativity and better chance conversion is a must in the final third. But Dyche has stood tall and not wilted in circumstances that would have done for a lot of managers.
Dyche: Biggest achievement of my career
Speaking after Idrissa Gueye’s goal had done the deed on Saturday, Dyche described keeping the club afloat for the second season running as his best achievement as a manager given how the job spec has changed since taking over in January 2023.
“It feels very good, coming out of all the knocks we have had,” he said. “We have relied on no-one but ourselves. No-one outside the club and the fans, we have not been given anything, no easy ride and I’m super proud.
“It is my biggest one [achievement], to lead a group from where it was to where it is. It’s different to last season, which was tough enough, but this season has been incredibly tough.”
Maintaining the club’s top-flight status was undeniably crucial. But unknowns remain. This summer could still prove testing as uncertainty over the proposed takeover by 777 Partners drags on.
Whether Dyche will have the players at his disposal to change tact in terms of playing style remains doubtful, and pragmatism continues to be the order of the day both for him and Kevin Thelwell, the director of football.
“There is a long way to go for this club to get back to where it should be. The difference of thinking where this club is and getting there is a huge difference,” Dyche added. “Modern football is not run on perception, it is run on facts.
“Everton has become an easy story, the whipping boys of the Premier League. Now we are beginning to change it. Let someone else have the negativity.”
Despite defeat, and their tenth game in 12 without a win, Brentford also secured their Premier League survival this weekend after Luton Town’s loss.
Thomas Frank’s team are not a flashy side and have been drifting of late, but they are a well-run, financially stable club, well stocked in most positions and with a coveted striker in Ivan Toney — many of the ingredients Everton desperately need in the next stage of their evolution.