Towards the end of Everton’s win at Bournemouth on Tuesday, the away end belted out a familiar tune.
Coined during Roberto Martinez’s tenure as manager, “the School of Science, it’s on its way back” chant captured the optimism sweeping through the club at that time. It was a reference to the club’s famous moniker and the days when they were at the top of English football playing an attractive, forward-thinking brand of football.
The song’s revival over a decade later spoke to a similar feeling of positivity, with David Moyes’ side on their way to recording their first Premier League win at the Vitality Stadium.
These are not quite the heady days of 2013, when a Romelu Lukaku-inspired Everton achieved their record Premier League points total and came within a whisker of Champions League qualification. But with Tuesday’s matchwinner Jack Grealish in the ranks, the sense of positivity is undeniable.
New ground has been broken this season. Only a week ago they secured their first victory at Old Trafford since 2013 despite Idrissa Gueye’s sending off after 13 minutes, and Tuesday’s win on the south coast was almost as impressive, given Moyes had just 15 fit and available senior outfield players.
Michael Keane’s injury — the defender played with a knock in the 4-1 defeat against Newcastle United at the weekend — forced a reshuffle that saw Jake O’Brien move inside to central defence, midfielder James Garner fill in at right-back, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall dropping back into a deeper midfield role and Carlos Alcaraz taking his place behind the striker. Four changes for the price of one.
That could have been too much disruption for an increasingly threadbare squad, but the theme of the night was of adaptability and defiance.
“It was about showing what sort of mentality the lads had after a bad performance at the weekend,” Dewsbury-Hall said.
He delivered an assured performance as the senior member of Everton’s central midfield trio, while his partner Tim Iroegbunam bounced back from a poor showing against Newcastle that saw him substituted at half time.
There were plenty of other good Everton performances but in the middle of it all, unsurprisingly, was Grealish. The on-loan Manchester City midfielder had not enjoyed a stellar evening up to that point, frustrating at times with his final ball, but ended up making the difference.
After scoring, he ran to the away fans and kissed the Everton badge, and was serenaded by chants of “Super Jack”. It was a moment which encapsulated how Grealish has fully bought into life at his new club.
Grealish has struck up a close bond with manager David Moyes (Alex Burstow/Getty Images)
“I love the manager to pieces,” he told Sky Sports. “I can’t speak highly enough of him and how he makes me feel and want to play for him.”
In response, Moyes joked that he “didn’t know how to take that” as “players used to not like me”.
“The Everton supporters love Jack and I think he’s giving the club something really different,” he said. “I don’t want to call him an entertainer; I want to call him a top footballer and someone who can create and score goals.
“He’s passionate. He’s not wanting to come off after 60 minutes and he’s not showboating. He’s going about his job and trying to do it as well as he can.”
All good results start with a sense of belief and Grealish’s presence has brought that to the Everton dressing room.
With him in their corner, there is a sense that nights like the ones at Old Trafford and the Vitality are possible. James Rodriguez, the Colombia forward, had a similar effect in his time at the club, helping Everton beat Liverpool away during Covid for their first victory at Anfield since 1999.
Dewsbury-Hall had been made aware of Everton’s poor record at Bournemouth earlier in the day. “I was quite surprised but getting little monkeys off your back like that are things that you want to do as players,” he said. “You want to give moments to the club and to the fans where they can go, ‘Finally, we’ve won it.’ That’s what you play for. We’ve got players now that can do that and it’s another one ticked off.”
Bruised by Saturday’s heavy defeat, Everton felt they had a point to prove and were smarter in their game-plan. They sat deeper, were more judicial in their pressing and played longer up to striker Thierno Barry at times. On the sidelines, Moyes was constantly cajoling, telling Iroegbunam and Alcaraz where to be and asking his players to release the ball early up to Barry.
“I think it was just trying to keep compact and then use the right triggers to go and press,” Dewsbury-Hall said. “We were a bit too open at the weekend and we tried to change and then go for the right moments when we thought there was a chance to win the ball and break. It’s just about being more disciplined, especially away from home.”
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall impressed again for Everton (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Iroegbunam, in particular, was much improved, using his athleticism to track runners and stop opposition attacks despite an early booking. He made seven tackles, seven interceptions and won nine of his 13 ground duels. “Fair play lad, you’ve got some cojones to be able to keep going in when you’re on a yellow,” Dewsbury-Hall told him afterwards.
The tweaked style suited Everton. In general, playing away from home does too. Since Moyes’ first away game back at Everton in January, no side has won more fixtures on the road (8) in that time. Only Arsenal have taken more points in those games.
“The gaffer is really good at setting us up right, especially away” Dewsbury-Hall said. “We’re tough to play against and well drilled. You’ve got a group of players that want to work. There’s no egos.
“We’ve got big players, but everyone’s humble, hard-working and they are the ingredients for a good team.”