2010, it has to be said, has been a really strange year to be an Evertonian. The back end of 2009 (the start of the 09/10 Premier League season) was a massive disappointment, with injuries and the 'Lescott Saga' seroiusly affecting the league and European form of the Toffeemen. But as 2010 kicked in, Everton stepped up a few gears, and their strong second half of the season saw them climb to 8th by May. The finishing position was unspectacular - and perhaps a little harsh given the superb form in the second half of the season. Memorable victories over Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City certainly gave the season a positive spin - despite the lack of European football to look forward in 2010/11. Undoubtedly though, Everton had paid the price for their crisis-ridden start.
That superb 2nd half of the campaign meant that there was real optimism around the club over the summer. Having had torrid off-seasons for the past few years, Evertonians were more than satisfied to see the club seemingly enjoying a stable summer. Only Jermaine Beckford, Jan Mucha, Joao Silva and Magaye Gueye were added to the squad. Of much more significance was the tying of Mikel Arteta to a new long term contract. Although Steven Pienaar hadn't made the same commitment, he was at least still at the club. Things were looking good.
So imagine the frustration, surprise and anger as Everton started the 10/11 campaign in awful fashion. An inability to turn draws into wins has cost the team dear. Despite some excellent football, and often dominating possession and chances. Everton's strikers have not done the business in front of goal, at the end of year, the side languishes in lower-mid table. A derby win against the neighbours, a stunning injury comeback against Man Utd, and a brilliant away win at Man City have been rare bright spots in a first half of the season which, frankly, has not been anywhere near good enough. Only a run like the end of the 09/10 season will heal the wounds for many Evertonians, who have once again seen bright promise turn to disappointment thus far.
So, as we see out 2010, we might as well try and remember some fond moments for Everton from the calendar year.
1. Marouane Fellaini shows his quality at last - Everton 2 - 0 Manchester City, January 16th 2010
As the club's record signing, the pressure had been on young Marouane Fellaini from the start of his Everton career. His slow pace and penchant for fouling had left many Evertonians wondering if he was really cut out for Premier League football. David Moyes didn't seem sure either - choosing to use the Belgian almost exclusively as a target man in his first season. However, in 2009/10 he started to really show signs that he was adapting to life in England, and finally started to excel in the position he'd been signed to play in - at the heart of midfield. The match against Manchester City had been pencilled in by many Evertonians as a grudge match, after the bad blood created by the Joleon Lescott saga. Goodison was a bear-pit that evening, and the blues secured an excellent 2-0 win thanks to goals from Steven Pienaar and Louis Saha. However, it was the performance of Fellaini which most thrilled Evertonians. He covered every blade of grass, and ran the show from the middle of the park. His virtuoso performance was capped off by a magic moment - when he executed a perfect 'Zidane turn' around a completely bewildered Craig Bellamy. The trick brought the stadium to its feet in appreciation, and summed up both Fellaini and Everton's dominance on the day.
2. Everton 2 - 1 Chelsea - February 10th 2010
It had been chuffing AGES since Everton had beaten Chelsea, and on the back of a gutting 1-0 reverse to Liverpool the weekend before - in which Everton had lost the in-form Fellaini for the rest of the season to an ankle injury - hopes weren't high that February evening. Confidence was shaken further when Chelsea strode into the lead, with Florent Malouda netting after just 16 minutes. But Everton - despite the Anfield setback - had discovered a new resilience in 2010, and with loan signing Landon Donovan proving a massive hit, they set about working their way back into the game. It was the American's whipped corner which was met by Lousi Saha on 32 minutes to level the scores. And Donovan was at it again just before half time, when his driving run into the penalty area was halted illegally by Ricardo Carvalho. This gave Saha the chance to send Everton into an unlikely half time lead. Alas, his penalty was repelled by Petr Cech, and many Evertonians would have been forgiven for thinking that the Blues would not get a better chance to gain an advantage over Chelsea.
However, a misjudgement by an out of sorts John Terry (something playing on his mind, perhaps?!) allowed Saha a shot at redemption on 74th minute, and the Frenchman needed no further invitation, chesting the ball down and lashing a left-foot volley past Cech which sent Goodison into raptures.
3. Everton 3 - 1 Manchester United - February 20th 2010
How do you follow a rare league victory over a team like Chelsea? By beating the Champions! On a crisp, sunny day at Goodison, Everton produced a superb performance to secure another come-from-behind win, this time against Sir Alex's men. When Dimitar Berbatov slotted United into a 15th minute lead, it seemed that Man Utd would do what they so often did, and coast to victory at Goodison. But Everton had other ideas, and a quite stupendous strike from Russian midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov just 3 minutes later ensured that the Blues were right back in it. The game ebbed and flowed into the 2nd half, but it was Everton who seemed more likely and more keen to get a winner. The turning point came thanks to a brilliant David Moyes subsitution. Despite his goal, Bilyaletdinov had drifted out of the game, and was replaced on 69 minutes by young midfielder Dan Gosling. Just a few minutes later, Steven Pienaar's cutback found its way to Gosling, who instinctively poked his toe at the ball, and diverted it into the back of the Glwadys Street net. Bedlam. As United pressed for an equaliser, Everton stood firm, and another Moyes subsitution paid dividends to wrap the game up late on. Jack Rodwell entered the fray in the 87th minute, and confirmed his huge potential by strolling through a bamboozled United defence and slotting past a helpless Van der Saar to seal the deal in the last minute of normal time. Goodison was made for days like this.
4. Manchester City 0 - 2 Everton - March 24th 2010
As mentioned earlier, there was no love lost between these two teams in 2010. So it was all the more fantastic that Everton completed the double over City in March, with a well-earned 2-0 win. Tim Cahill nodded home a cleverly worked free kick between Baines and Arteta in the first half. And the points were sealed when Jack Rodwell escaped down the right wing, and pulled the ball back to Mikel Arteta (via a Tim Cahill dummy), who dispatched the ball into the bottom corner. The celebrations after that goal will live long in the memory of all who were there that night. Unbridled joy!
5. Arteta's equaliser - Everton 3 - 3 Manchester United - September 11th 2010
Everton don't really do comebacks - not under Moyes - and certainly not against United! The team found themselves 3-1 down to the rampant reds, despite having taken the lead through Pienaar in the first half. The game was seemingly meandering to its natural conclusion, when Leighton Baines swung a cross into the area in injury time, which was met superbly by Cahill. 2-3 - but few batted an eyelid. It was merely a consolation, and United would surely shut up shop now. From the kick-off, Everton won the ball back, and worked forward down the left. Pienaar and Baines linked well, for the left-back to cross to Cahill again. This time, the Aussie couldn't quite win the header, but the ball fell invitingly for Mikel Arteta, who slammed the ball home from 12 yards with the help of a deflection. Goodison went absolutely mental - the fans barely believing their eyes. At the end of the day, it was only a draw, but to score two in injury time like was almost unheard of for Everton, and will be remembered for a long time.
6. Derby victory - Everton 2 - 0 Liverpool - October 17th 2010
Derby wins have been annoyingly infrequent under David Moyes, but this one was about as comprehensive as most Evertonians could hope for. Both Merseyside clubs had endured torrid starts to the season - albeit under very different circumstances - and Liverpool in particular had just been through an historic week. A change in ownership had finally been secured, and things were perhaps looking a bit brighter for the Reds as they arrived at Goodison. Any optimism was quickly wiped away though, as Everton powered to a convincing win. Tim Cahill got the ball rolling in the first half, thumping Seamus Coleman's cut-back into the roof of the net to send the crowd wild. And the victory was sealed early in the second half, when Arteta lashed home from 20 yards after Liverpool only half cleared a corner. The rest of the game saw Liverpool huff and puff, with Everton stoically defending their lines, and rarely looking troubled. A great win for Everton - but although Liverpool haven't really recovered since, Everton have also failed to kick on from this victory.
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