After the glorious start in the sunshine against Brighton & Hove Albion, followed by the dramatic last-gasp comeback victory over Crystal Palace and then what now seem ridiculously routine successes over Fulham and Nottingham Forest, the honeymoon period is over for Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium as their winless run extended to six matches.

While all clubs can experience teething problems when they make the momentous decision of relocating to a new ground, anyone attempting to point the finger of blame for the current malaise on their magnificent new home and suggesting that it’s anything other than a huge asset for the club, would be badly misguided.

The switch to the Mersey waterfront is a game-changer for the Blues both on and off the pitch, but it’s up to the team to take advantage of the opportunity that’s been presented to them, and this fixture was a considerable opportunity to kick on that was...