THREE points, three new players, and three intriguing new destinations in the Europa League – what a difference a week makes.

If ever there was a game where the result was more important than the importance – well, they’re all like that really, but let’s run with it here – it was the Wigan match.

The prospect of a hideous fortnight with no game and no points looked a realistic one when that scourge, Paul Scharner, headed home the first goal on Saturday, but some timely substitutions and no little bottle on the players’ part thankfully saw the Blues through.

Down the years, Everton have developed a habit of ending these mini-crises – if you can have such a thing after two games – with dour wins ground out at Goodison, although they certainly left it late against Roberto Martinez’s oddly cynical side.

It came as little surprise to anyone that Sylvain Distin had an assured debut, the Frenchman has tons of experience in the Premier League, and if you speak to Newcastle and Manchester City supporters they tend to say only good things about him.

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, on the other hand, wasn’t on for long enough to make any lasting impression, so we will have to wait for the Fulham game at least before we get a proper look at him and the final new recruit, Johnny Heitinga.