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Everton Goal of the Month: November

Whose finish topped the lot this month?

Everton FC v Cardiff City - Premier League
Everton won two and drew one of their three November league games
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Evertonians could have little to complain about from a November which saw them go undefeated in all three competitive matches.

The Blues got the penultimate month of the year underway in sparkling fashion, cruising to a 3-1 home win against Brighton & Hove Albion in what manager Marco Silva labelled the best performance at Goodison Park this season.

They followed that up with a 0-0 draw at Chelsea, becoming the first team this campaign to leave Stamford Bridge with a clean sheet, before securing a gritty 1-0 win against Cardiff City at Goodison on Saturday.

There was also the 4-0 home win against Kenyan champions Gor Mahia, which saw Everton take the SportPesa Trophy, so all in all, plenty for Blues to shout about heading in the hectic festive programme.

There were some impressive goals this month, too, but which was the best of the bunch?

Honourable Mentions

Richarlison v Brighton (second goal) - the Brazilian may have been gifted the opportunity due to Seagulls defender Lewis Dunk’s stray pass, but the winger-turned-striker still had plenty to do to finish the chance.

His raw pace was too much for Dunk’s central defensive partner and former Everton player, Shane Duffy, and after leaving him for dead, Richarlison then rounded Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan, showing great composure before duly slotting into an empty net.

Oumar Niasse v Gor Mahia - a goal in a glorified friendly at home to significantly inferior opposition in Gor Mahia perhaps should not come into contention, but Niasse deserves credit for an excellent finish.

The Senegalese has not played a minute of Premier League football since mid-September, but to his credit, took his opportunity when introduced as a second-half substitute against the Kenyans.

A fierce drive drilled into the corner of the Gwladys Street goal in the final minutes was another reminder that, though clearly limited technically, Niasse will always give his all for Everton, regardless of the circumstances.

Runner-up: Seamus Coleman v Brighton

It has been an arduous year for Coleman, who returned from a broken leg injury in January, having been sidelined for ten months.

Despite a colossal first game back in the win against Leicester City, the Irishman has struggled to maintain the form Evertonians have come to expect from him, and came into the Brighton game following a particularly underwhelming showing in the away defeat to Manchester United.

Not only was the 30-year-old much improved generally against the Seagulls, but his excellent strike regained the Toffees’ lead just after the break.

There seemed little room for Coleman to aim it, with Brighton’s Dunk and Gaetan Bong in such close proximity, but from just outside the penalty area, he placed his shot with perfect accuracy, as it flew past the despairing Ryan.

Winner: Richarlison v Brighton (first goal)

It’s Richarlison’s opener in the same game that wins November’s goal of the month, though, with the sort of strike that would have been impossible to imagine the Blues scoring in the turgid days of last season.

From a Brighton corner, Kurt Zouma’s header found Gylfi Sigurdsson, who dispelled the myth that he lacks pace by running from one end of the pitch to the other in less than ten seconds.

The Icelandic played a lovely one-two with winger Bernard, before finding the arriving Richarlison in the penalty area, who finished off the perfect counter-attack.

The perfect synthesis of speed and guile, this goal was the antithesis of the static, lethargic football served up under Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce last term, and epitomised all the tireless work put in by Silva to revive the club.

With seven league games in December, there is sure to be plenty of competition to take this accolade for the final month of 2018. The congested festive period includes numerous winnable fixtures, as well as meetings with Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, Evertonians still have much to look forward to before the year is out.