It was a day four months in the making.
Everton's jaw-dropping 5-1 demolition of European hopefuls Brighton & Hove Albion in their own backyard was a result that no one saw coming. No one, perhaps, but unswerving manager Sean Dyche.
The former Burnley boss extended his unbeaten Premier League run at the Amex Stadium to six matches in the most resounding of fashions, obliterating the Seagulls with braces from winger Dwight McNeil – who arguably forged the greatest individual performance of the campaign – and Abdoulaye Doucoure, whose first-half double set the Toffees on their way for the sweetest of results to alleviate the all-engulfing claws of the relegation zone.
The victory lifts the Merseyside outfit to 16th, away from immediate danger and with renewed optimism and swagger ahead of the closing three matches of the campaign.
Dyche, after defeating title-fighting Arsenal in his maiden outing four months ago in January, has struggled to galvanise his team into action, but Monday's exhilarating affair has indeed eradicated the narrative that the Blues were on a downward and inexorable slump and breathed optimism anew onto Goodison Park.
McNeil was the standout, but there were a wealth of momentous performances to have left the travelling Blues support captivated beyond measure, with brace-scoring Doucoure indeed in resounding form with his dynamic and breathless display.
How did Doucoure play v Brighton?
Signing from Watford in a £20m deal in 2020, Doucoure has plundered nine goals and assists apiece from 92 outings, following on from a fruitful career with the Hornets that saw him clinch 29 direct contributions from 141 appearances.
The 30-year-old has ebbed and flowed from form and fitness this season, starting only 14 times in the Premier League, but does now boast four goals and two assists to complement his exploits, having recorded an 8.0 match rating against Chelsea and now an 8.3 rating against Brighton, as per Sofascore.
Lauded for his "towering" performance by The Athletic's Patrick Boyland, the midfield machine complemented his two goals with 36 touches, a 90% pass completion rate, three tackles, two clearances and success in four of his nine ground duels.
While McNeil was "magnificent" with his blistering display, as hailed by scout Ryan Williams, boasting a simply remarkable 9.9 Sofascore rating, Doucoure's all-encompassing central work was paramount to the flow that simply overwhelmed the Seagulls, so often renowned for their high-octane and fluid football.
With the £120k-per-week gem ranking among the top 14% of midfielders across Europe's big five leagues for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 16% for blocks per 90 over the past year, as per FBref, he brings the versatility to ensure Everton have every chance of reaping the rewards of their possible late-season surge towards safety and perhaps a newfound stature higher up the table, with Dyche at the helm.