Everton's unbeaten run came to end in fairly listless fashion as they were well beaten by lively Southampton at St Mary's.
Carlo Ancelotti's side came into the fixture off the back of four wins and a draw and sitting top of the table, but in the end they were second best throughout the contest, and were reduced to 10 men for the second week in succession when Lucas Digne was sent off in the 72nd minute.
The French full-back was given a straight red card by referee Kevin Friend for a crude stamp on Kyle Walker-Peters as the Saints full-back looked to break.
In truth, Digne's side were already looking to be out of the contest well before that dismissal, with the hosts striking two decisive blows within eight minutes in the first half.
Seconds after Jordan Pickford had parried a long range effort from Oriol Romeu, the England goalkeeper saw a rasping shot from his Three Lions teammate James Ward-Prowse flash past him into the net.
It had been Danny Ings who had teed up Ward-Prowse for that effort, and the forward again turned provider soon after when he found strike partner Che Adams, whose effort took a deflection off Gylfi Sigurdsson before beating Pickford.
Sigurdsson had earlier hit the bar as Ancelotti's side started with some intent, but in truth things got little better for them going forward as, missing the suspended Richarlison, in-form forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggled to get into the game.
Southampton's Stuart Armstrong had a third disallowed for an offside against Adams before the break, and the hosts were able to see out the win fairly comfortably in a second period in which Digne's stamp was the only real moment of note.
Everton stay top of the table despite their defeat, but they are now joined on 13 points by neighbours Liverpool.
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