What was the unthinkable thing that could have happened?
Imagine it but slightly worse.
Everton losing to a Burnley side who before kick-off were ranked 98th in Europe’s top five leagues for shots on target.
98th for possession, 98th for touches, 98th for passes completed, 98th for pass accuracy.
98th.
The worst.
Now the reason it was slightly worse?
Everton were winning, they had something to lose and oh how did they lose it.
It started how near enough every Everton game away from home under Frank Lampard has started.
On the backfoot and looking worryingly scared to take control of the game then, just like clockwork the home side score.
This time it was diabolical defending from a corner as Nathan Collins scored his first goal for Burnley.
Heads dropping in white shirts all over the pitch, no surprise there.
However determination, grit a bit of fight and heart was showed as they found a way back into the game through two penalties.
Anthony Gordon was fouled for the first one whilst Vitaliy Mykolenko was tripped for the second spot kick.
On both occasions Richarlison stepped up with a bit of a stutter and sent Nick Pope the wrong way twice.
Half-time, 2-1 to Everton against a Burnley side who struggle to create chances at all, 98th remember.
Yet in the second half Frank Lampard’s side could not build on their lead, they could not protect their lead, they simply did not know what to do and even Sean Dyche knew that was bound to happen.
In the 57th minute Dominic Calvert-Lewin was bullied by James Tarkowski who found Charlie Taylor.
A shambolic attempt of a tackle by Jonjoe Kenny set Taylor away and Kenny could not keep up as he got to the by-line an pulled it back expertly for Jay Rodriguez who tapped it in.
The heads go back down, the inevitable was going to happen but when?
With five minutes to go a cross is put into the box and Ben Godfrey horrendously fluffs his clearance to Matej Vydra who fires it into the area to find Maxwell Cornet.
Unmarked, all alone for a simple enough goal.
Turf Moor went ballistic and rightfully so.
They had never won a Premier League game when losing at half-time and now they are level on points with a Everton side who last season were fighting for European football up until the last day of the season.
The atmosphere amongst the club has for a long time been dim with fans angry at how this has been allowed to happen but now it has turned from anger to almost a sad acceptance that this could really be it for Everton, they really might be in the Championship next season.
Of course there is a long way to go but the Burnley game was the six-pointer and they lost it in catastrophic style.
Their run-in is a lot tougher than their relegation rivals on paper as Everton will now play Manchester United, Leicester City twice, Chelsea and Liverpool in their next five games before they travel to Watford which could be a winner stays up scenario.
Watford and Burnley also have potential winnable games on the weekend too as they play Leeds United and Norwich City respectively.
There is so many questions with minimal answers, there is so many negatives with so minimal positives, there has been so many games played with minimal points picked up.
Championship football is a stark possibility and that is the sad reality for this great old club.
