Farewell to the final unbeaten record. Everton retain the top spot in the Premier League but not their distinction as the only undefeated team.
Southampton marked the anniversary of last season’s heaviest and most infamous loss, the 9-0 thrashing by Leicester, with a comprehensive victory to signify their progress with a 16th victory in the subsequent 12 months. What a difference a year can make.
“It was the highest level we played today,” said Ralph Hasenhuttl. Danny Ings exchanged his usual role as scorer to serve as supplier, the former Liverpool forward getting two assists, and Everton were outworked and overwhelmed.
Their dreadful day was compounded by the loss of Lucas Digne, sent off for scraping his studs down Kyle Walker-Peters' leg. Carlo Ancelotti felt it was an accident and argued the bad publicity after Everton's poor challenges in the Merseyside derby influenced referee Kevin Friend's choice of card.
"The red card was a joke, it was not intentional, for sure it was not violent,” he said.
“Maybe it was a yellow. Maybe all this talk all week against [Jordan] Pickford, against Richarlison, affected the decision and if so it's not right, it's not fair. We will appeal, for sure.”
But if that appeal fails, Everton’s resources will be stretched further. This highlighted the faultlines in Ancelotti’s squad. His first 11 had brought their best start to a season since the 19th century but without the injured Seamus Coleman, the suspended Richarlison and the benched Andre Gomes, Everton’s lack of strength in depth was exposed.
If Ancelotti felt they paid for last week’s antics, they suffered because of previous failed spending sprees. Gylfi Sigurdsson, the £45 million buy who has been sidelined, showcased his technique with a dipping long-range shot that clipped the bar, but was otherwise ineffectual.
Alex Iwobi stood in for Richarlison and had a couple of efforts deflected wide, but his goalscoring record remains wretched. He is not a like-for-like replacement for the Brazilian, who was much missed, and he was hauled off at half-time for Bernard.
Yet if Everton could rue historic errors, it was also an awkward day for their newest addition.
Ben Godfrey’s full debut came as Coleman’s deputy and a centre-back by trade struggled on the right. It hardly helped that Rodriguez, scarcely renowned for his defensive duties, did not afford the newcomer enough protection as Southampton seemed to target the former Norwich player.
Godfrey did not get close enough to Ings when he supplied the second goal, just as Ryan Bertrand evaded him with ease, most notably to set up a chance that Nathan Redmond scuffed wide.
“We didn't play well,” admitted Ancelotti. That was in part because Rodriguez, who had been a doubt due to injury and finished the game moving gingerly, had his least influential game so far.
It meant Dominic Calvert-Lewin was starved of service as, for the first time in this season’s Premier League, he failed to score. He was outshone by Ings, his rival for an England place.
Indeed, Oriol Romeu an infrequent scorer, posed more of a threat. The Spaniard already has one spectacular goal to his name this season and was denied a second when Pickford parried a long-range thunderbolt.
Yet 24 seconds later, he was beaten. The captain James Ward-Prowse marked his 200th Saints start by exchanging passes with Ings, who nutmegged Michael Keane with his return ball, and rifling an effort beyond the goalkeeper.
Pickford was similarly blameless eight minutes later. “The second goal was beautiful,” added Hasenhuttl.
Ings crossed and Che Adams beat Pickford with a deflected shot; after failing to score in his first 24 league games for Saints, Adams now has six in 12. “I was always convinced Che Adams’ time would come,” said his manager, who has been vindicated.
Southampton did not miss Theo Walcott, ineligible because he was borrowed from Everton.
Stuart Armstrong came in, had a goal disallowed for offside and was an energetic, effective presence.
Jannik Vestergaard was also denied a goal by Pickford, who tipped his header over. “We have the quality to score goals and I think we should have had a few more,” said Ward-Prowse. A third goal would not have flattered Southampton while a clean sheet was merited. “I haven’t seen a lot chances for Everton,” said Hasenhuttl.
