Dream start for Dyche as Tarkowski heads in winner against Premier League leaders

Sean Dyche has enjoyed a dream start at Everton as James Tarkowski’s header earned them all three points against Premier League leaders Arsenal.

The former Burnley boss made an immediate impact as another former Claret – Tarkowski – headed the winner on the hour.

This was Tarkowski’s first goal for Everton and it ends their ten-game winless run.

The great escape is most definitely on for Everton, who by virtue of their lunchtime kick-off, briefly moved out of the relegation zone with hope springing eternal at Goodison after 12 miserable months under previous manager Frank Lampard.

Defeat was Arsenal’s first since September, and only their second in the league, and opened the door for Manchester City to close the five-point gap at Tottenham on Sunday.

The combination of Dyche – who has won two and drawn three of his last six meetings with the Gunners – and Goodison Park – where they have won twice in their last 11 visits – proved to be Arsenal’s nemesis once again as Everton won three successive home games against the Londoners for the first time in more than 45 years.

There was a protest march in the street ahead of kick-off – with the board of directors absent for the second match running on security advice – and a sit-in after the final whistle with a plane flying a ‘League’s worst run club #timetogobill’ (a reference to long-serving chairman Bill Kenwright) overhead early in the game.

But in between there was much greater optimism with Dyche making an immediate impact despite having just five days to work with his new squad.

Abdoulaye Doucoure – who had been training on his own after a fall-out with Lampard – made his first Premier League start since mid-August to bring some energy into a five-man midfield, which was a departure from the manager’s usual 4-4-2.

But what was evident on the pitch was reassuringly familiar with Dyche insisting his side be more direct and get the ball forward early to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who looked re-energised having struggled for fitness all season, and he almost latched onto a Dwight McNeil pass but was out sprinted by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

Had Calvert-Lewis got more of a connection on Amadou Onana’s low cross after a bursting run down the left then Everton would have been ahead, with the England international also firing in a weak shot from Alex Iwobi’s knockdown and flicking a header wide after Iwobi and Seamus Coleman had combined on the opposite flank.

Doucoure was…