Everton 4 Leicester 0: Toffees storm to vital relegation six-pointer win after record goal as Tottenham drop to 16th

ABDOULAYE DOUCOURE created history as David Moyes continued his re-birth of Everton at the speed of sound. But for Ruud van Nistlerooy there was only more misery as Leicester City went down to an eighth league defeat in nine… and on the evidence of this collapse are going down. ReutersEverton swept Leicester aside after flying out of the blocks[/caption] AFPAbdoulaye Doucoure found the net with just 10.18 seconds on the clock[/caption] Only 10.18 seconds were on the clock as Doucoure ran on to a whack down-field from Jordan Pickford and waltzed past the wallflowers around him to smash home. The Mali international’s strike was the fourth–fastest ever in the Premier League and the quickest by a home team in the competition. By the sixth minute, Beto had doubled the lead – that blue blur of a start sending the Toffees towards a third successive win for the first time since last April. Beto kept the momentum going two minutes into first-half stoppage time with his side’s third to leave Everton’s fans dancing in the aisles before Iliman Ndiaye tapped home as the clock hit 90. Moyes’ entrance as successor to sacked Sean Dyche and a return for a second stint in charge was marked by a 1-0 Goodison Park defeat to Aston Villa. That reverse, a third in a row, left the team that Moyes took over only a point above the drop zone. But they ended this game TEN points clear of third-bottom Wolves before they kicked off their tea-time clash with Villa – and even above Tottenham who drop to 16th – while the Foxes are falling fast again. The Scotsman wouldn’t dream of saying out loud that his return after a dozen years away is now steering the club to safety but he will quietly know that only complete disaster can stop that. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Even the fact that the squad has been devastated by injury has done nothing to stop lift-off after that first loss on his return. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is out for ten weeks with hamstring trouble, on-loan midfielder Orel Mangala is going back to Lyon after suffering an ACL knee injury and winger Dwight McNeil is still recovering from knee surgery. Another striker in Armando Broja, on loan from Chelsea, faces a further six weeks’ absence as well with knee problems. Yet in Beto, the frontman who Dyche never could get a song out of, he has an alternative suddenly showing the power that persuaded the ex–boss to sign him for £26million from Udinese 18 months ago. The 27-year-old had only scored one Prem goal all season, his minutes strictly limited by Dyche’s preference for DCL. Yet here he was loving it under Moyes, running on to James Tarkowski’s pass and beyond Wout Faes to curve the ball around Mads Hermansen as cool as you like. James Garner, making his first start in four months after plenty of injury problems of his own, then delivered a brilliant, high-precision 30-yard pass and Beto again left Faes and Co for dead. Between those goals, the former Manchester United midfielder also hit Hermansen’s right-hand post. All-time quickest Premier League goals Apr 23, 2019: Shane Long (Southampton) at Watford – 7.69 seconds Mar 4, 2023: Philip Billing (Bournemouth) at Arsenal – 9.11 seconds Dec 9, 2000: Ledley King (Tottenham) at Bradford – 9.82 seconds FEB 1, 2025: ABDOULAYE DOUCOURE (Everton) v Leicester – 10.18 seconds Jan 18, 2003: Alan Shearer (Newcastle) v Man City – 10.52 seconds Jan 31, 2018: Christian Eriksen (Tottenham) v Man Utd – 10.54 seconds Mar 17, 2001: Mark Viduka (Leeds) at Charlton – 11.90 seconds Sep 30, 1995: Dwight Yorke (Aston Villa) at Coventry – 12.16 seconds Apr 1, 1995: Chris Sutton (Blackburn) at Everton – 12.94 seconds Jan 10, 2004: Kevin Nolan (Bolton) at Blackburn – 13.48 seconds Doucoure should also have claimed his second in the 45th minute but was leaning back when he connected with Vitaliy Mykolenko’s perfect lay–off. All of which tells the story of the Foxes’ first half in which they couldn’t even run for cover. And going forward? Forget it. Veteran Jamie Vardy had been allowed just nine touches when he was replaced by Patson Daka and hour in. Van Nistelrooy would have hoped that the shock 2-1 win at Tottenham last weekend would have inspired his side. Yet they were left shell-shocked by that lightning opener and never got over it, Ndiyae adding a fourth in the final minute when Faes and Caleb Okoli ran into each other. Van Nistlerooy, just a dozen games into the job, has won only two of those in the Prem and if he’s not already looking over his shoulder then he should be. Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club. GettyDoucoure was all smiles after the perfect start[/caption] ReutersBeto got his second an

Feb 2, 2025 - 11:11

Everton 4 Leicester 0: Toffees storm to vital relegation six-pointer win after record goal as Tottenham drop to 16th

ABDOULAYE DOUCOURE created history as David Moyes continued his re-birth of Everton at the speed of sound.

But for Ruud van Nistlerooy there was only more misery as Leicester City went down to an eighth league defeat in nine… and on the evidence of this collapse are going down.

Everton swept Leicester aside after flying out of the blocks[/caption]

Abdoulaye Doucoure scoring a goal for Everton.

Abdoulaye Doucoure found the net with just 10.18 seconds on the clock[/caption]

Only 10.18 seconds were on the clock as Doucoure ran on to a whack down-field from Jordan Pickford and waltzed past the wallflowers around him to smash home.

The Mali international’s strike was the fourth–fastest ever in the Premier League and the quickest by a home team in the competition.

By the sixth minute, Beto had doubled the lead – that blue blur of a start sending the Toffees towards a third successive win for the first time since last April.

Beto kept the momentum going two minutes into first-half stoppage time with his side’s third to leave Everton’s fans dancing in the aisles before Iliman Ndiaye tapped home as the clock hit 90.

Moyes’ entrance as successor to sacked Sean Dyche and a return for a second stint in charge was marked by a 1-0 Goodison Park defeat to Aston Villa.

That reverse, a third in a row, left the team that Moyes took over only a point above the drop zone.

But they ended this game TEN points clear of third-bottom Wolves before they kicked off their tea-time clash with Villa – and even above Tottenham who drop to 16th – while the Foxes are falling fast again.

The Scotsman wouldn’t dream of saying out loud that his return after a dozen years away is now steering the club to safety but he will quietly know that only complete disaster can stop that.

JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS

Even the fact that the squad has been devastated by injury has done nothing to stop lift-off after that first loss on his return.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is out for ten weeks with hamstring trouble, on-loan midfielder Orel Mangala is going back to Lyon after suffering an ACL knee injury and winger Dwight McNeil is still recovering from knee surgery.

Illustration of the ten quickest Premier League goals of all time.

Another striker in Armando Broja, on loan from Chelsea, faces a further six weeks’ absence as well with knee problems.

Yet in Beto, the frontman who Dyche never could get a song out of, he has an alternative suddenly showing the power that persuaded the ex–boss to sign him for £26million from Udinese 18 months ago.

The 27-year-old had only scored one Prem goal all season, his minutes strictly limited by Dyche’s preference for DCL.

Yet here he was loving it under Moyes, running on to James Tarkowski’s pass and beyond Wout Faes to curve the ball around Mads Hermansen as cool as you like.

James Garner, making his first start in four months after plenty of injury problems of his own, then delivered a brilliant, high-precision 30-yard pass and Beto again left Faes and Co for dead.

Between those goals, the former Manchester United midfielder also hit Hermansen’s right-hand post.

All-time quickest Premier League goals

Apr 23, 2019: Shane Long (Southampton) at Watford – 7.69 seconds
Mar 4, 2023: Philip Billing (Bournemouth) at Arsenal – 9.11 seconds
Dec 9, 2000: Ledley King (Tottenham) at Bradford – 9.82 seconds
FEB 1, 2025: ABDOULAYE DOUCOURE (Everton) v Leicester – 10.18 seconds
Jan 18, 2003: Alan Shearer (Newcastle) v Man City – 10.52 seconds
Jan 31, 2018: Christian Eriksen (Tottenham) v Man Utd – 10.54 seconds
Mar 17, 2001: Mark Viduka (Leeds) at Charlton – 11.90 seconds
Sep 30, 1995: Dwight Yorke (Aston Villa) at Coventry – 12.16 seconds
Apr 1, 1995: Chris Sutton (Blackburn) at Everton – 12.94 seconds
Jan 10, 2004: Kevin Nolan (Bolton) at Blackburn – 13.48 seconds

Doucoure should also have claimed his second in the 45^th minute but was leaning back when he connected with Vitaliy Mykolenko’s perfect lay–off.

All of which tells the story of the Foxes’ first half in which they couldn’t even run for cover.

And going forward? Forget it.

Veteran Jamie Vardy had been allowed just nine touches when he was replaced by Patson Daka and hour in.

Van Nistelrooy would have hoped that the shock 2-1 win at Tottenham last weekend would have inspired his side.

Yet they were left shell-shocked by that lightning opener and never got over it, Ndiyae adding a fourth in the final minute when Faes and Caleb Okoli ran into each other.

Van Nistlerooy, just a dozen games into the job, has won only two of those in the Prem and if he’s not already looking over his shoulder then he should be.

Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club.