Gylfi Sigurdsson hit a glorious goal for Everton on his first appearance against old employers Swansea City, helping to set up a 3-1 Premier League victory on Monday.
The £45 million signing endured a difficult start to life at Goodison Park but repaid a chunk of his large fee with a stunning strike in a fine comeback win for Sam Allardyce’s side.
Everton have now taken 13 points from five Premier League matches as their Allardyce-inspired revival continues, while Swansea remain rooted to the bottom of the table after suffering a sixth consecutive away loss.
Swansea took the lead after a flat start to the game, as Leroy Fer finished well after former Swansea defender Ashley Williams left him unmarked from Tom Carroll’s corner.
But they were only ahead for 12 minutes: Dominic Calvert-Lewin marked his new contract with a goal, finishing off Wayne Rooney’s missed penalty which was awarded after Roque Mesa’s clumsy challenge on Aaron Lennon.
Sigurdsson then cut inside to unleash an unstoppable finish that reminded Swansea exactly what they are missing in his absence and Rooney wrapped up the points after dispatching Everton’s second penalty.
Wilfried Bony lasted only three minutes before limping off to be replaced by Tammy Abraham, the earliest substitution in the Premier League this season.
Swansea had scored the same number of league goals as Rooney – nine – at kick-off and their lack of attacking confidence was demonstrated when Luciano Narsingh shot straight at Toffee goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Lukasz Fabianski made a comfortable stop after 21 minutes when Calvert-Lewin, one of three young Everton players to sign a new contract last week, went for goal from 20 yards.
Lennon nutmegged Alfie Mawson to create an opening, only to shoot tamely wide, before Pickford easily saved Carroll’s free-kick at the other end.
But the Everton goalkeeper could do little as Swansea nudged ahead after 34 minutes.
Carroll’s right-wing corner evaded defender Williams, with Fer timing his run at the back post to slam home from close range.
Martin Olsson rifled wide as Swansea threatened again, but Everton levelled in first-half stoppage-time after Jon Moss awarded a penalty for Mesa bundling into Lennon.
Fabianski dove low to his left to turn Rooney’s spot-kick onto the post, but Calvert-Lewin was perfectly positioned to slam in the rebound for his second Premier League goal of December.
Sigurdsson’s shot was claimed by Fabianski despite an awkward bounce after 58 minutes, but the Iceland international put Everton in front with his next effort.
Rooney was given time and space to spread the play to Sigurdsson, who came in off the left flank to whip a delightful 25-yard strike across Fabianski and into the top-right corner.
Moss pointed to the spot once more after Olsson tripped Jonjoe Kenny, although the contact looked to be outside the box, with Rooney this time thumping his effort through Fabianski’s despairing dive.
Fabianski at least kept the score down by denying Calvert-Lewin his second with five minutes to go, but another defeat leaves Swansea four points from safety and in the doldrums, while Everton climb up a place to ninth.
-This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za