After the events of the afternoon, there was always a risk that the match between Everton and Peterborough United wouldn’t be the prominent topic of conversation at Goodison Park. Everton beat the League One Cambridgeshire side 2-0 as they began their life without their manager of two years, Sean Dyche.
Everton win after decision to sack Sean Dyche
Shockingly, the new Everton board decided to sack their manager only hours before their FA Cup clash, leading to Evertonian legends Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman taking charge along the sidelines. Supposedly, the starting 11 was picked by Dyche.
It was expected that the new Everton board, the private consortium called The Friedkin Group, would look to revolutionise the club going forward. It would’ve been expected for Dyche to likely have not seen out the rest of the season.
However, the swiftness of the decision led to a damp atmosphere at Goodison Park. Fans and players alike seemed unsure of how to feel about the sacking. And the Toffees performance reflected this uncertainty.
The first half of the match was flat, with minimal excitement coming at both ends. Orel Mangala struck the post with an audacious shot in the 22nd minute, whilst Peterborough had a slim chance to score but failed soon after. However, four minutes before halftime, Portuguese striker Beto was given a ball through The Posh defence, by 17 year old Harrison Armstrong, to make it 1-0.
The second half remained much the same, as Idrissa Gueye skied a chance in the 51st minute. New Peterborough signing Gustav Lindgren impressed on his debut, seemingly never running out of steam. Everton substitute Armando Broja suffered a concerning industry, leading the game into 10 minutes of additional time. Everton were awarded and scored a penalty in the 97th minute, leading to a solid 2-0 result.
Everton have a tough few fixtures coming up. Wednesday night sees a clash at Goodison Park against Aston Villa, whilst the Sunday fixture puts the Toffees up against Tottenham Hotspur.
A favourite has already emerged, according to many outlets, on who will take up the vacant managerial role. Former Everton, Manchester United and West Ham manager David Moyes is set to be in contact to make a return to the club. Moyes, who had 11 years of relative success at the club before departing to Manchester United in 2013, could be a welcome appointment amongst Evertonians.