Last Saturday's nine goal thriller between Everton and Chelsea is already being heralded as one of the most entertaining games in Premier League History. Everton's solid but unremarkable start to last season, and the Roberto Martinez reign, saw the Toffees play out three consecutive 0-0 draws. They were all fairly dull, uninspiring matches in which The Blues' controlled, measured and ponderous possession failed to break down the opposition with any real incision, and there were a limited number of shots on target for both teams.
Fast forward to the beginning of this current campaign, and after three matches we have almost the reverse situation from twelve months ago.
Instead of zero goals scored and zero conceded, the goals for column reads 7 while goals against is a very concerning 10. So, we have to ask the question of whether Everton's solidity in 2013/14 (15 clean sheets from 38 League matches) is a remnant of the highly defensive Moyes regime, and also, is Martinez's more lax and open style of play now taking effect and turning Everton into the new Wigan Athletic?
Firstly, we must focus on the positives, Everton have scored seven times in three games, and they looked a real threat going forward on Saturday evening against the stingiest defence in the Premier League last term. The addition of Eto'o as an impact substitute looks to be a very astute move, and we must not forget that the only reason the three time Champions League winner came to Goodison Park is because he was impressed with Martinez's expansive and attractive tactics in his first year on Merseyside.
Gerard Deulofeu was a another highly rated player (this time in the embryonic stage of his career) who had been convinced by Martinez's vision and philosophy of Football, and he won't be the last, as Everton's stock in Europe is growing as they adopt a more possession based approach to winning matches. Even against Chelsea they managed 61 - 39 % in their favour, but were cruelly exposed in nearly every counter-attack the West Londoners had.
Jose Mourinho's men only registered 8 shots on target but found the net 6 times, while Everton scored half of their 6 shots at the target, with one of them producing a world class save from Thibaut Courtois after a brilliant move involving the always lively wing back Coleman, Eto'o, the resurgent Naismith and the erratic but sometimes brilliant, Mirallas.
The Everton goalkeeper, Tim Howard, is in the most confident form of his life, but it's the two central defenders in front of him that are causing concern for the Goodison faithful. The ever reliable Sylvain Distin will be 37 in December, and signs of creakiness seem to be setting in as he was unable to get tight to the intelligent Diego Costa all afternoon. His partner in crime, Phil Jagielka, had a far worse game though, making one tackle and failing to make any interceptions or block any shots in 90 minutes play. The first-choice England centre-back, whose confidence seems to have drained since a dismal showing in Brazil this summer, played twelve long balls throughout the match (the highest number in the Everton side) and more crucially, committed an extremely naive error to gift Chelsea the opening goal inside the first minute, and give Mourinho his ideal counter-attacking scenario which shaped the entirety of the encounter.
Many Evertonian's would rather see this kind of free-flowing, risky and entertaining fare, rather than the disciplined, mind numbing anti-football that characterised the majority of David Moyes' eleven year tenure. And of course, if Martinez were to turn Everton into the new Wigan, this would bring with it an FA Cup win and a trophy, something the Toffees have not enjoyed since 1995.
Martinez's more continental style could see Everton challenge for the Europa League this season, a competition they've not entered for nine years. On the whole, the signs are looking far more positive than negative for the blue half of Merseyside.
