Getting carried away
Everton's away record in recent seasons has been pathetic.
They went 16 Premier League games without winning one until the Blues, managed by Sam Allardyce at the time, nicked a 1-0 at Newcastle United.
The last away victory prior to that? A 1-0 at Crystal Palace.
But where Ronald Koeman would not win another league game on the road whilst still in charge of Everton, Carlo Ancelotti's latest triumph on enemy territory looks like a pattern being bedded in further.
Since he arrived at the club in December, the Blues have won six times away from home in the league.
Everton have gone to Newcastle, Watford, Norwich, Sheffield United, Spurs and now Palace and won, scoring 10 times and conceding just four.
All hail the new spot-kick king!
Nobody missed Richarlison's expertly dispatched penalty at Selhurst Park - only Palace goalkeeper Vincente Guaita.
And nobody missed that it was the goal that ultimately sealed a third straight Premier League win that took Everton to the top of the table.
But perhaps the significance of the spot-kick may have been lost in the post-match analysis.
Richarlison is, effectively, Everton's new first-choice penalty taker.
With Gylfi Sigurdsson no longer guaranteed a place in the starting line-up - and even passing up the chance to score from the spot against Salford City so Moise Kean could have a go - and Leighton Baines retired, the Brazilian striker will be the man to step up.
There has been some debate among supporters as to who would assume the duties.
Richarlison, who has scored a penalty in a Copa America final, was top of many supporters' lists, but there were also shouts for Lucas Digne and James Rodriguez.
But Richarlison it is. And it looks like being a smart choice by Ancelotti.
Access denied
Perhaps still clinging desperately onto hopes that Everton will come back in for him (they won't we're told) and take him off Palace's hands, Wilfried Zaha chose not to show up the people he would hope to call team-mates soon.
Or maybe, and as is actually the case, he didn't dribble past a single player in a home league game for the first time in four years on Saturday, because he was shackled extremely well by the Blues' defenders.
Playing as a centre-forward, and not on the wing where he would have been afforded more time and space, is a factor to consider, but Zaha had a joyless game under the watch of Coleman, Keane, Mina and co.
And when the opportunity arose for him to stretch his legs and take it past the Everton backline, Abdoulaye Doucoure ruined his day further by matching him yard for yard and then nicking the ball off his toe.
Hat-tip to Matt Cheetham for that stat, by the way.
Goals galore
Everton have now scored 16 times in five league and cup games this season.
Eight in the league and as many in the cup.
To highlight the change in how the Blues have come charging out of the blocks this season, to how they stumbled out of them last term, it took Everton until the 92nd minute of the visit of West Ham - in the ninth league game - for the side to reach eight league goals.
This time, they've done it in three.
*How impressed are you by Everton so far? Have your say in the comments section below.
