Frank Lampard began his reign as Everton manager with a 4-1 home win over Brentford on Saturday afternoon, advancing his new side to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Neither side posed any considerable threat in a damp opening half an hour which quelled the excitement Lampard’s presentation to the Goodison Park crowd had sparked before kick off.
It took a towering header from first half substitute Yerry Mina to break the deadlock, meeting Demarai Gray's corner in the 31st minute as Everton scored a game's opening goal for the first time since October.
Brentford were yet to test Jordan Pickford until the visitors began to exploit their extra man in midfield as the first half drew to a close, though without coming all too close.
Richarlison dinked Everton into a 2-0 lead within a matter of minutes of the restart, punishing Brentford's keeper David Raya for an ill-timed dart off his line.
However, just as in the first half, it was Brentford that were emboldened by Everton's goal. Christian Norgaard sliced through the Toffees' backline within ten minutes of the resumption, putting Ivan Toney into the box. Brentford's forward lured Pickford into a hasty swipe of his legs, winning a penalty which Toney himself converted.
Mason Holgate restored Everton's two-goal lead shortly after the hour mark following a detrimental sequence of play all of Brentford's own making. From the corner Mads Bech Sorensen's dawdling provoked, a shanked header from the same defender inadvertently teed up Holgate to make it 3-1.
Brentford fizzled out of the contest thereafter. Andros Townsend provided a final flourish to Lampard's debut, rifling in a fourth in the 90th minute to seal Everton's first home victory of 2022.
Everton player ratings
1. Goalkeeper & defenders
Jordan Pickford (GK) - 3/10 - Kept the home support on their toes with an insistence on playing some nerve-shredding short passes before misjudging his attempts to rob Toney.
Mason Holgate (CB) - 6/10 - Shifted onto his unnatural side early on and was outnumbered at times down the left.
Michael Keane (CB) - 5/10 - As Everton extended their wait for a clean sheet to 11 matches, he hardly exerted calm from the heart of that defence.
Ben Godfrey (CB) - N/A - Limped off the pitch inside the opening 15 minutes.
2. Midfielders & wing-backs
Seamus Coleman (RWB) - 7/10 - Eager to push forward and particularly disruptive with his underlapping runs.
Andre Gomes (CM) - 6/10 - Controlled in possession without offering much penetration.
Allan (CM) - 6/10 - Delightfully teed up his compatriot for Everton's second with a defence-splitting scoop.
Vitaliy Mykolenko (LWB) - 4/10 - Pedestrian in possession and forever played the safe pass in Brentford's half.
3. Forwards
Anthony Gordon (RW) - 7/10 - Given license to roam and proved a nuisance wherever he popped up.
Richarlison (ST) - 7/10 - A physical match for Brentford's burly trio from the off, the Brazil international had his mind made up by Raya after snatching at a smattering of chances beforehand.
Demarai Gray (LW) - 7/10 - As ever, the sharpest prong of Everton's frontline, buzzing around the final third with a spate of direct dribbles.
4. Substitutes
Yerry Mina (CB) - 6/10 - Exorcised some of Everton's repeated set-piece demons by scoring from a corner.
Jonjoe Kenny (LWB) - N/A
Andros Townsend (RW) - 6/10 - Snaffled up his first sight of goal superbly.
Cenk Tosun (ST) - 6/10
Alex Iwobi (LW) - 6/10 - Produced a delicate flick around to tee up his fellow substitute.
Brentford player ratings
5. Goalkeeper & defenders
David Raya (GK) - 4/10 - Categorised as one of Brentford's winter signings by his manager. Endured a return from injury to brush under the carpet as questions could be raised about his involvement for numerous goals.
Kristoffer Ajer (CB) - 6/10 - Granted freedom to push forward from Brentford's familiar back-three. Didn't compromise his defensive resolve.
Pontus Jansson (CB) - 4/10 - Struggled to contain Richarlison throughout the contest in an unusually skittish performance.
Mads Bech Sorensen (CB) - 3/10 - A less than convincing afternoon reached a sharp nadir during a calamitous minute in the build up to Everton's third.
6. Midfielders & wing-backs
Mads Roerslev (RWB) - 6/10 - Given more opportunity to creep up the pitch than his teammate on the opposite flank but swung at fresh air when Toney tried to pick him out in the box.
Mathias Jensen (CM) - 4/10 - Poor set piece delivery undermined Brentford's clearest route to goal.
Christian Norgaard (CM) - 6/10 - Swept behind his midfield with an air of calm amid the blood and thunder, playing arguably the pass of the match to Toney.
Vitaly Janelt (CM) - 5/10 - Struggled to exert any real influence on proceedings before becoming Brentford's first substitute.
Rico Henry (LWB) - 5/10 - Following a remarkably swift recovery from a nasty head injury against Wolves, it's particularly bizarre as to why the wingback was tasked with marking the vertically gifted Mina at corners.
7. Forwards
Sergi Canos (ST) - 5/10 - Limply wasted a rare sight of goal in the first half before making way after the break.
Ivan Toney (ST) - 7/10 - Livened up considerably after the break, causing the most threat when darting beyond Everton's cumbersome backline.
8. Substitutes
Shandon Baptiste (CM) - 5/10
Joshua Dasilva (CM) - N/A
Saman Ghoddos (ST) - N/A
Finley Stevens (FW) - N/A
Source : 90min