At the moment, with the midfield lacking a bit of creativity, we need a target man to get the ball forward to and Fellaini is proving effective in that role, causing defenders problems and chipping in with important goals like the equaliser against Middlesbrough and then that nerve-settling third against Stoke at the weekend.

A mark of how perceptions of Everton have changed during Moyes’s seven years in charge is that wins against sides like Tony Pulis’s relegation-battlers are now viewed as formalities.

We expect to beat them, where in the past we might have looked at their physical style, perhaps, and the fact that they drew at Anfield, and looked for the reasons why we might struggle. In less optimistic times we might have even half-expected a returning Everton old-boy like James Beattie to score the winner.

Alright, maybe that’s pushing things a bit.

In fairness, Beattie got a decent reception despite the fact that things never worked out for him on Merseyside.

Along with everyone else in Goodison though, he probably realised that he was going to struggle to make us regret selling him when he fell over the ball with his first touch.

Next up is another struggling side, Portsmouth, and a win down there would start to make the league run-in interesting.

Aston Villa seem to be buckling under the weight of expectation and now Arsenal are back in the box seat.

With good players returning to the team they will probably have too much in hand for Everton to overtake them, but given the Gunners’ flaky temperament we should be at least looking to make life as uncomfortable for them as possible.