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LONDON (Reuters) – Everton’s impressive 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday was the first against them in eight years, but more important was the impact of their new signings.
Optimism was barely high at the end of last season, as Everton finished 12th.
But he has come back in waves after Carlo Ancelotti signed a midfield trio who seem capable of turning Everton into real contenders for a place in the top six.
Colombian playmaker James Rodríguez, who burst into the limelight at the 2014 World Cup before signing for Real Madrid, was a huge blow to Everton when he signed this week.
His courage may have fallen in recent seasons, but against Tottenham he seemed like a class act, pulling the strings and giving Everton the creativity they have so lacked.
French midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure, signed from Watford this week, was a dominant presence in midfield, while Allan, a Brazilian coach, provided reassurance in front of the four behind.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose powerful header sealed the points, said the trio had given Everton an instant boost and predicted there was much more to come.
Ancelotti described his team’s performance as brilliant and chose Rodríguez, a player he worked with at Real Madrid, to receive special praise.
“James is not the fastest player in the world but he has a lot of quality. We have to use him to show his quality. He is not a winger, but he can enter and receive the ball, he is very dangerous.” Ancelotti said.
“I’m not worried about physical appearance. If I was worried about that, I would sign Usain Bolt, not James.”
Everton fans have had to watch Liverpool take over as the force in English football, but after a surprising transfer business and a win against a ghost club, there is hope.
“After a long time of suffering, now the fans have to be happy. In the past it was not easy to win here and we won, it is good to celebrate,” said Ancelotti.
“We need continuity. Last season we had ups and downs and now we will see. This game tells us that we can compete with anyone.”
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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