Life’s sweet again for Toffees under Ancelotti
LONDON: Everton’s renaissance under Carlo Ancelotti continued as Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s double earned a 2-1 win at Newcastle, whilst Brighton and Watford secured big wins in their battle to avoid relegation.
Ancelotti’s reign at Goodison Park got off to a flying start thanks CalvertLewin’s winner against Burnley on Boxing Day and the in-form England under-21 international was the Toffees’ hero once more on Tyneside.
“He is a fantastic manager who has worked with great players and for me as a young player it is the best possible experience. I just have to be like a sponge and take it all in,” said Calvert-Lewin on working under Ancelotti.
Victory takes Everton above Newcastle into the top half of the table.
“We are getting back to where we want to be after a below par start,” added Calvert-Lewin. “It was not good enough and it was vitally important we turned it around. “
Brighton climbed up to 14th, five points clear of the drop zone, as Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Aaron Mooy’s first goals for the club in a 2-0 win over Bournemouth.
Jahanbakhsh was moved to tears when he opened the scoring with his first Premier League goal less than three minutes into his first league start of the season.
“It was a great moment for everyone in the stadium, especially Ali. He deserves it,” said Brighton boss Graham Potter.
“He worked away every day with exemplary behaviour. We all wanted him to contribute and he did that today.”
Watford closed to within three points of safety thanks to a second home win in as many games under Nigel Pearson as the Hornets beat Aston Villa 3-0 despite playing half an hour with 10 men when Adrian Mariappa saw red.
“We couldn’t afford to lose,” said Pearson. “It’s a case of trying to rectify the first part of our season. Momentum is important.”
Troy Deeney had given Watford the lead eight minutes before halftime and doubled his side’s advantage from the penalty spot soon after Mariappa was shown a second yellow card.
Ismaila Sarr then rounded off a miserable afternoon for Villa, who remain in the bottom three after a fifth defeat in six league.