Beto's not the first Everton number nine to net on his Birthday 🔵⚽️🎂 Bob Latchford scored a brace against Birmingham and brother Dave the day he turned 24 Dixie Dean netted twice on his 29th birthday against Bolton Dave Hickson scored against Man United the day he turned 25

I always felt it was daft how Patterson was dropped after a clean sheet at West Ham a few years' back and it's daft how he's not retained his place after wins and clean sheets this season. Big respect for how he's kept going, kept his chin up and delivered solid performances.

Beto is the third Everton player to have scored three goals past minute 93 in the Premier League era. The striker has found the net in the 97th, 96th and 94th minute. Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored once on 94 and twice on 95 while Ross Barkley netted twice on 94 and once in 95.

Beto today moved ahead of Iliman Ndiaye, James Beattie and Danny Cadamarteri in the Everton league goalscoring charts and is now tied on 14 with Steve Watson, Dwight McNeil, Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott 🔵⚽️

Beto's 97th minute goal is in the top seven for late Everton goals 🔵⚽️ The striker joins Royston Drenthe, Cenk Tosun, Iliman Ndiaye, James Tarkowski, Alex Iwobi and Yerry Mina in the list.

Everton’s backline today stands at 25 foot 3 🔵⚽️ Here are some things the Blues defence is the same height as… Two-and-a-half story building A tall giraffe A mature small tree Fire truck ladders Small cliff Standard garden hose Half a basketball court Standard swimming pool

Pretty certain Everton’s full-backs today are the tallest in Premier League history. Jake O’Brien is 6’6 and Jarrad Branthwaite is 6’5.

Thierno Barry is now the joint-top scoring Barry in Everton history 🔵⚽️ Thierno Barry 5 Gareth Barry 5 Barry Horne 3 Barry Rees 2 (Thierno scored his five in 51 days, Gareth Barry netted five in 1,064 days)

That was a really fine finish from Thierno Barry. He had plenty to do and showed great nous and technique. The run and strike were spot on Barry’s raw but certainly has the ingredients to make the grade. He’s acclimatising more with each game. I think he’ll be a very good player

I think it’s gone under the radar because Ndiaye has performed so ably but Everton really lack a right winger who gets to the byline and puts crosses in. I think it impacts Patterson getting forward too and can even limit the options for the central midfielders. So unbalanced.

I prefer Dewsbury-Hall deeper in central midfield and I think if you eventually get a left-back who can get forward and reads attacks, Branthwaite, Dewsbury-Hall, the left-back and Ndiaye could be really quite something and creative playing neat triangles up the pitch.

Mykolenko is a real weak link now. It’s all down to his inability to know when to run. His positioning and timing is so off. Compare that to the likes of Branthwaite and Dewsbury-Hall who know where to be and how and when to take the ball. Massive difference in Football IQ.

With the security of Branthwaite and three at the back, I was hoping Aznou would come on for Mykolenko with Patterson still on. I’d also only play Dibling in his cameos behind the striker centrally. He’s never a winger. We got a goal back but the set up reverts to dysfunction.

I did say back in December when he scored against Forest… Thierno Barry’s first league goal for Basel didn’t come until the end of January. He ended the season with ten goals.

Jarrad Branthwaite may be a defender but he’ll have a massive influence on how Everton attack. Having him on the pitch will change the entire dynamic. The way he steps in to help the midfield always gives an option and gets us up the pitch with ease. Massive plus.

Jack Borthwick was a centre-half who made 25 Everton appearances between 1908 and 1911. He was Landlord at The Winslow from 1921-1926 and 1938-1942. Norman Greenhalgh played 115 times and scored one goal for Everton between 1937 and 1949 and was Winslow Landlord from 1951-1956.

He’s proper Harrison. You can tell because he’s wearing proper boots!

Harrison Armstrong on the shoulders of Bryan Oviedo during Everton's Academy Day at Finch Farm in April 2016 🔵⚽️

Here's nine-year-old Harrison Armstrong in a picture with Romelu Lukaku, Duncan Ferguson, Leighton Baines and others at Everton's Academy Day in 2016 🔵⚽️ He's in the bib on Bryan Oviedo's shoulders, top right. Very cool that he's now playing for the first-team.

Senegal winning AFCON means this is the first time in history that an Everton player has won an international tournament the same day Everton won a league game 🔵⚽ Everton did win the same week Ray Wilson lifted World Cup with England in 1966, beating Shamrock Rovers in a friendly six days later.

Jake O'Brien at centre-back for Everton in the Premier League since May 🔵⚽️ Beat Southampton 2-0 Played 25 mins at CB v Palace - in that time Everton scored two, didn't concede and won 2-1 Beat Bournemouth 1-0 Beat Forest 2-0 Beat Aston Villa 1-0 15 pts. 0 goals conceded

Since 1888, these are the seasons in which Everton picked up more points away than at home... 1912-13 1913-14 2008-09 2015-16 2020-21 Last season was tied for points but more wins on the road. Would be quite remarkable the quirk occurs last season at Goodison and first at HD.

Thierno Barry is now the second top-scoring Barry in Everton history 🔵⚽ Gareth Barry 5 Thierno Barry 4 Barry Horne 3 Barry Rees 2

Premier League away table - eleven games played 1 Arsenal 21 2 Tottenham 18 3 Aston Villa 18 4 Man City 17 5 Everton 17 6 Chelsea 16 7 Palace 16 8 Liverpool 15 9 Man United 14 10 Fulham 11 Five wins, two draws. The Toffees have scored ten and conceded ten on their travels.

Of our 9 wins, 7 have been with clean sheets, 8 have been when we score first. It's pretty clear where we are currently #EFC #UTFT @ellbretland.bsky.social

Beto is now ninth for most Everton substitute appearances. He's come on 58 times, that's one more occasion than Stuart Barlow. Next time he is introduced he will tie with Kevin Mirallas. He's three sub appearances off Danny Cadamarteri and seven behind James McFadden.

Jordan Pickford today tied with the iconic outside right Jack Sharp on 342 appearances for Everton Football Club 🔵⚽️ He's now eight games off David Unsworth, 17 from Kevin Sheedy and 22 behind Tommy Wright.

Two more shutouts and Jordan Pickford will become the fifth Everton goalkeeper to record 100 clean sheets 🔵⚽️ The stopper will join Neville Southall, Gordon West, Tim Howard and Ted Sagar in the list

There is a definite correlation showing that Tarkowski has a good game alongside one centre-back and not so good next to another Relationships on the pitch are often more important than individuals and while Keane has been sound Tarkowski is much better next to O'Brien and a RB

I posted last May that James Garner was 'a key cog in what will be the Everton machine. What a footballer' and was certainly in the minority in thinking that but he's proved crucial this season. Proper football brain.

The date Everton recorded 32 points during the last five seasons 🔵⚽️ 25/26: January 18 24/25: February 26 23/24: April 2* 22/23: May 8 21/22: May 1 *Points earned, ignoring deduction

David Moyes has won ten games away from home since returning last year. The last run of ten league away wins by Everton was started by Carlo Ancelotti in May 2021 and took three-and-half seasons to complete under three more managers.

Interviewed Thierno Barry's father Amadou a few days before he was unveiled as a new Everton signing. “Since he was little, his dream was to play in the Premier League and now his dream will come true. That is what it means." Really pleased for them both. ellbretland.substack.com/p/the-rise-o...

Posted in December that Thierno Barry’s first league goal for Basel didn’t come until the end of January and that he ended the season with ten goals. Seeing a trend...

That’s a brilliant win. The circumstances around the game are where Moyes thrives - depleted and needing a reaction. When things get tough, he’ll always get a response and the team digs in.

That's now two Premier League clean sheets and two away wins with Nathan Patterson at right-back and Jake O'Brien at centre-back. Proves yet again that players in the right position and functionality is imperative.

Updated: Since before the last game at Goodison, that‘s now 390 league minutes that Everton haven’t conceded a goal with Jake O’Brien at centre-back.

It's only a football shirt but growing more disillusioned with Everton by the day. Tradition and authenticity matters. 🔵⚽

Adam Aznou: The Journey to Everton 🔵⚽️ Growing up with Lamine Yamal in the '304' neighbourhood, playing for R9, the Hakimi 'brotherhood' and making his debut with Bayern royalty. This is Aznou's football story, from Barca to the Blues. substack.com/home/post/p-...

The mentality needs to change at Everton Football Club, most of the fans and the manager gave out the vibe we were beaten before a ball had even been kicked. Will never understand the endless negativity associated with our club.

Since before the last game at Goodison, that‘s now 300 minutes that Everton haven’t conceded a goal with Jake O’Brien at centre-back.

I think Tarkowski performs better next to O'Brien. Keane has had one his best spells in an Everton shirt this season but I definitely prefer the CB dynamic of Tarkowski and O'Brien as it also leads to a better solution at RB. Two clean sheets and two wins on the road together.

The Rise of Thierno Barry 🔵⚽️ This is the story of the new Everton striker's journey from Montchat to Merseyside, featuring exclusive quotes from his father Amadou, SC Toulon coach Youssef Sif and former SK Beveren CEO Antoine Gobin. ellbretland.substack.com/p/the-rise-o...

It's the second December in which Everton have beat Nottingham Forest 5-0. The Toffees beat Brian Clough's side by that scoreline at Goodison in 1984. Graeme Sharp got a brace while Peter Reid, Kevin Sheedy and Trevor Steven also scored.

From January to May, Moyes earned 1.56 points per match. Over 38 games that equates to 59 points. Moyes has now managed 38 league games and has amassed... 59 points. He's consistent! It was 61 points that was enough to see Everton and Moyes finish fourth in 2005.

Huge fan of Jake O’Brien having zero ‘Premier League experience’ but now having enough to earn two clean sheets against a Sean Dyche side in a month.

I think tonight proved how balance and relationships on the pitch can be so vital. Having a natural right-back start and Jake O'Brien at CB just makes the flow of the team that little smoother. Square pegs in round holes will hinder even the best sides. Functionality is key.

First goal has been so crucial for Everton this season. Now won eight and drawn two of the ten games in which they've taken the lead. Lost seven of the eight in which they went behind first (beat Palace 2-1)