Gylfi Sigurdsson produced a moment of magic against former club Swansea City as Everton recorded a 3-1 victory to maintain Sam Allardyce's unbeaten start as manager.
The Blues had to do it the difficult way, though, after Leroy Fer fired the visitors into a first-half lead with a close-range effort.
Lukas Fabianski almost did enough to preserve that advantage at the interval with an impressive save on to the post to deny Wayne Rooney from the penalty spot - but Dominic Calvert-Lewin was on hand to convert the rebound and level proceedings.
Sigurdsson then put the Toffees ahead for the first time in the contest with a sensational run and 25-yard shot into the corner just after the hour mark.
And there was time for Rooney to atone for his earlier miss, making no mistake with his second spot-kick of the evening before passionately celebrating his 11th goal of the campaign in front of an adoring Howard Kendall Gwladys Street End.
Having watched Everton collect the first away win of the season five days earlier, boss Allardyce, unsurprisingly went with the same 11 players that triumphed over Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
In the days leading into the match, the Everton boss had warned of complacency in facing the Premier League’s 20th-placed side. He reiterated that message in his pre-match interview. “We must make sure we deliver the performance which will give us another three points. The six inches between the ears has to be right tonight and we must not underestimate this team at all.”
Paul Clement was forced to contend with a setback in as early as the fourth minute when star striker Wilfried Bony, a scorer of two goals in the Swans’ last three matches was forced off through injury. On-loan Chelsea man Tammy Abraham was his replacement.
The Swans matched Everton early on and Jordan Pickford, on the back of three clean sheets in his last four games, needed to be alert to clutch on to a low effort from Luciano Narsingh. The Dutch winger was lively throughout the opening half and he later flashed another shot past the post.
Rooney wore the captain’s armband again for the Toffees and he delicately flicked the ball narrowly over the crossbar from a Cuco Martina centre.
Calvert-Lewin did well to carry the ball from halfway and force a low save from goalkeeper Fabianski and Aaron Lennon was narrowly off-target from distance, but on the whole the first half-hour passed without too much penalty box action.
The contest then came to life and two goals in quick succession followed in the build up to half-time.
When Mason Holgate was incorrectly adjudged to have fouled Nathan Dyer 30 yards from goal, Tom Carroll hit the resulting free-kick, a dangerous attempt which Pickford read and saved diving low to his left.
It was a warning that bottom-of-the-table Swansea had travelled to Merseyside full of intent - and they struck the first blow in 35th minute when Fer, a former target of the Toffees several years ago, ghosted in unmarked from a corner to prod in from inside the six-yard box.
It could have been a two-goal margin had full-back Martin Olsson’s drive from distance been on target, rather than a fraction wide.
As it was, Everton fought back to ensure it was back to all square at half-time through Calvert-Lewin in first-half stoppage time.
Lennon was upended in the box by Roque Mesa, Rooney’s penalty was pushed onto the post by Fabianski and Calvert-Lewin, playing his first match since inking a new contract, pounced first to convert.
Fabianski’s routine save to deny Sigurdsson was the best moment in a quiet opening to the second period, prompting Allardyce to replace Schneiderlin with Tom Davies after an hour of action.
Moments later and Everton took the lead, with a move started by the Academy graduate. Davies carried the ball from midfield, fed Rooney and when Sigurdsson picked up possession 25 yards out, he bent an inch-perfect finish past former teammate Fabianski.
Rooney’s part in the goal saw him climb up to third-place in the Premier League’s all-time assist record - his 103 contributions moving him above Frank Lampard and behind Cesc Fabregas and Ryan Giggs.
Rooney ensured he got his name on the scoresheet for the third consecutive game in the 73rd minute to put the game beyond Swansea.
Having been denied from the spot in the first half, the 32-year-old made no mistake with his second penalty of the evening. Jonjoe Kenny’s heels were clipped by Olsson, presenting Rooney with the opportunity from 12 yards. This time he opted for the opposite corner, belting the ball past Fabianski’s right hand and into the Gwladys Street net.
Allardyce’s troops saw out the game comfortably in the closing stages to cement all three points and climb up to ninth in the Premier League table, just one point shy of eighth-placed Leicester City and six short of Tottenham Hotspur in seventh.
Attentions now turning to clashes with Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion, Bournemouth and Manchester United over a demanding festive fixture schedule.
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