It was all looking so perilous yet again for Everton, it was seemingly staring them in the face that relegation was on the cards now more than ever even after how close they came to facing the drop last season.

After a defeat at home to a Fulham side who realistically didn’t have anything to play for any slither of hope was pushed away again, then came a bore draw against Crystal Palace, whether it was a point gained or two dropped no one really knew as the mood was one of harsh acceptance that this side won’t have enough to stay afloat.

Newcastle came and went, the less said about that the better as it was meant to be the big one at home to really set the cat amongst the pigeons but Eddie Howe’s team had a practice session with Alexander Isak tearing the backline apart for fun.

Another chance gone.

The big one was against Leicester City, the side no one really anticipated on being down in the dumps and they looked like they were going to kickstart their escape after going 2-1 up against Everton with the menace that is Jamie Vardy doing what he does best but then Jordan Pickford stood up tall to deny James Maddison.

The fight was still there but was the quality?

Dwight McNeil stepped up to the plate to get a point but it was another point which neither team really needed as the pure chaoticity of the 90 minutes proved exactly why both sides were in the scrap.

An away trip to Brighton, one of the most talked about sides in the country who are chasing Europe, was up next and after that Manchester City so the hope that was ebbing away continued to do so.

Well that was until the first minute at the Amex as Abdoulaye Doucoure got on the end of a Dominic Calvert-Lewin pass to send the away end crazy.

They then went crazy another four times as Sean Dyche’s Blues went onto to beat Brighton 5-1 with a Doucoure and McNeil brace as well as an own goal from Jason Steele.

22% possession away from home and scoring five goals with one of them being that good it was celebrated by the player before it had even went in.

Leicester City got obliterated by Fulham just a few hours earlier whilst Leeds United under Sam Allardyce couldn’t get anything from Manchester City so just like that all of a sudden Everton are now no longer the side out of that dreaded four who look the most likely to go down.

The fight had never really gone away but against the fancy Brighton side they showed that the quality is there to stay in the Premier League next season.

Three games left, the great escape has begun, yet again.

The hope is back.