Dyche hails his best yet as Everton beat the drop
Goodison manager proud of securing safety despite eightpoint penalty
EVERTON manager Sean Dyche rates overseeing the club’s escape from relegation as his greatest achievement. Idrissa Gueye’s 60th-minute strike was enough to beat Brentford 1-0 and secure a 71st successive top-flight season and a record 122nd overall, with victory putting them 11 points clear of 18th-place Luton after three wins in a week.
Dyche said to achieve safety with three matches remaining, having only survived on the final day a year ago, against a backdrop of having eight points deducted for profitability and sustainability breaches should not be under-estimated.
“It feels very good, coming out of all the knocks we have had,” he said.
“We have relied on no one but ourselves. No one outside the club and the fans, we have not been given anything, no easy ride and I’m super proud.
“It is my biggest one [achievement], to lead a group from where it was to where it is. It’s different to last season, which was tough enough, but this season has been incredibly tough.”
Dyche took over in January last year with the club embroiled in a second successive relegation battle, in which they just managed to get over the line. But he admits the expectations he had when he took over have had to be tempered massively in the intervening period.
“The knocks kept coming. This job isn’t what it was when it got pitched to me and I’ve had to focus and refocus,” he added. “There is a long way to go for this club to get back to where it should be. The difference of thinking where this club is and getting there is a huge difference.
“Modern football is not run on perception, it is run on facts. The eight points is the biggest thing. You are not going to cry when it happens, but what it does it changes the mentality. We were actually doing really well, then we get six and then another two.
“Now imagine they are not there – trust me we wouldn’t have had a run of 13 [league matches] without a win.
“Everton has become an easy story, the whipping boys of the Premier League. Now we are beginning to change it. Let someone else have the negativity.”
It was a different story for Sheffield United, who were relegated from the Premier League after surrendering an early lead to suffer a 5-1 thrashing at Newcastle. Anel Ahmedhodzic’s fifth-minute opener at St James’ Park gave the beleaguered Blades hope of earning a stay of execution. But Alexander Isak’s second-half brace, plus finishes from Bruno Guimaraes and Callum Wilson either side of a Ben Osborn own goal, inflicted a 25th defeat of a miserable season on the South Yorkshire club to boost the Magpies’ hopes of Europa League qualification.
Jurgen Klopp’s long Liverpool farewell is in danger of turning sour following a touchline row with Mohamed Salah during a 2-2 draw at West Ham, which hammered another dent into their fading title hopes.
Salah, surprisingly left out of the starting line-up, had a heated exchange with manager Klopp before coming off the bench after Michail Antonio’s 77th-minute equaliser.
Following Jarrod Bowen’s first-half header, the Reds hit back to lead at London Stadium thanks to Andy Robertson and Alphonse Areola’s comical own goal but Antonio’s leveller prevented them moving level with leaders Arsenal.
Manchester United’s disappointing season continued after Zeki Amdouni’s late penalty earned relegationthreatened Burnley a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag’s side looked to have scraped an unconvincing victory following Antony’s first Premier League goal of the season in the 79th minute.
But Amdouni converted from 12 yards with just three minutes to go after being clattered by goalkeeper Andre Onana to leave sixth-place United only a point above Newcastle in the battle for Europe.
The result moved Burnley two points from safety, while fellow strugglers Luton remain a single point behind 17th-place Nottingham Forest following a 2-1 loss at Wolves.
Goals in either half from Hwang Hee-chan and Toti Gomes put the hosts in control before Carlton Morris’ 10th league strike of the campaign set up a tense finale.
At Craven Cottage, Jeffrey Schlupp scored a stunning late leveller as Crystal Palace grabbed a 1-1 draw against London rivals Fulham.
Substitute Schlupp rifled home three minutes from time to cancel out Rodrigo Muniz’s 52nd-minute opener and maintain Palace’s impressive form under Oliver Glasner following three successive wins.
Noni Madueke and Connor Gallagher spared further misery for Chelsea on the back of their 5-0 humiliation to London rivals Arsenal in midweek as Mauricio Pochettino’s side clawed back from 2-0 down to secure a 2-2 draw Villa Park.