Abdoulaye Doucoure scored a first-half winner as Everton beat relegated Sheffield United 1-0 at a balmy Goodison Park on Saturday, setting one new club Premier League record and inflicting another unwanted one on their opponents.
Doucoure's headed goal was the 101st bottom side United have conceded this season, one more than the previous record set by Swindon Town in 1993-94 in what was then a 42-game campaign.
Everton, who are in 15th place with 40 points from 37 matches, have now won five home Premier League games in a row without conceding a goal for the first time, form that has lifted them clear of the relegation zone.
The game had an end-of-season feel to it with neither club having anything substantial to play for, but it was Everton who created more chances and deserved the win.
Everton had more swagger about them with safety long secured and against a team who have been one of the worst in Premier League history.
So easy for Everton and Abdoulaye Doucouré 🔵🔥
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) May 11, 2024
Sheffield Utd have conceded 101 goals this season 😲
📺 Stream #EVESHU live: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/u099yNtWD0
The visitors, by contrast, grafted hard and had a spell of possession in the second half but Jordan Pickford in the home goal had a quiet afternoon, keeping a 13th clean sheet of the season, second only to Arsenal’s David Raya (15).
The home side should have hit the front when Dominic Calvert-Lewin brilliantly fed Doucoure for a one-on-one chance, but the midfielder could not beat United goalkeeper Wes Foderingham with no defender in sight.
The two Everton players combined again on the half-hour mark and this time it did result in a goal.
Dwight NcNeil’s clever through-ball was perfect for Calvert-Lewin, who drew Foderingham from his goal-line and then crossed for Doucoure to head into an empty net.
Everton continued to create chances in the second period, and while there were no further goals, it was as comfortable a win as they have had at Goodison Park all season.
Key to their survival this campaign has been beating the teams around them in the bottom six.
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Their club record five-match home winning run without conceding also included victories over Burnley, Nottingham Forest, Brentford and, sweetest of all for the fans, Liverpool.