Everton Goal of the Season: 2020-21

The book has now closed on Carlo Ancelotti’s debut full campaign at Goodison Park, with Everton faltering at the final hurdles to miss out on Europe and end up tenth in the Premier League.

The Blues found the net 47 times in their 38 league games this term, but after flying out of the traps with 12 in their first four, they scored more than one goal in just one of their final 14 Premier League matches.

But among those 47 (and the 20 scored in the domestic cup competitions) were some real crackers, so which five were the best of the lot?

5th: Bernard, Everton 5-4 Tottenham (Feb 2021)

On the most glacial of nights at Goodison Park, Everton had trailed to Tottenham, then led them by two goals, then pegged back to level terms, then ahead again, then level again. It was that sort of FA Cup tie.

Into extra time we went with Ancelotti’s and Jose Mourinho’s men deadlocked at 4-4, only for Bernard, a bit-part player at best throughout the entire season, to prove an unlikely Everton hero.

The substitute picked out former Spurs man Gylfi Sigurdsson, who returned the favour by spotting Bernard’s darting run into the penalty box and playing the most delightful of chipped through balls perfectly into his path.

The Brazilian let it bounce, before emphatically rifling past Hugo Lloris for the ninth and ultimately decisive goal of a crazy game. Ancelotti, composed as ever, resumed sipping his tea, meanwhile.

4th: Gylfi Sigurdsson, Everton 2-2 Tottenham (Apr 2021)

When Spurs returned to Goodison in the Premier League two months later, though, Sigurdsson turned from provider to finisher.

Just as he did in the cup tie, he had already scored from the penalty spot here, bringing Everton level in the process, before netting a sumptuous second after the break to put the Blues briefly ahead.

Having barely entered the pitch as a substitute, Seamus Coleman made in-roads down the right-hand flank via a neat one-two with Richarlison. His first-time cross found its way right onto the left foot of Sigurdsson, who likewise struck home without needing to control first.

A brilliantly incisive move from Everton; the sort of which we didn’t see enough of especially as the season progressed into its latter stages.

3rd: James Rodriguez, Everton 5-2 West Brom (Sep 2020)

Of the six league games Colombian Rodriguez scored in his maiden season in England, the first was certainly among the best of them.

With Everton and West Brom level at 1-1 as half-time approached, Rodriguez received the ball from Richarlison just outside the Baggies penalty area. There were seven outfield West Brom players in his vicinity at the time. Alas, it was not to matter.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone didn’t stand a chance as Rodriguez took a touch to set himself up, before arrowing a beauty into the bottom left corner of the Park End net on his Goodison debut.

It helped Everton on their way to a comfortable 5-2 win, and was an early reminder of just why Ancelotti wanted to reunite with the man he had nurtured at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich previously.

Runner-up: James Rodriguez, Everton 1-1 Leicester (Jan 2021)

Rodriguez also takes second place for this gem against Leicester in the 1-1 home draw with the Foxes in January.

Everton offered little in attack that night and spent much of the match defending for dear life, but Rodriguez’s pearler offered them a rare moment of quality at the other end of the pitch.

It started with a stunning diagonal from Andre Gomes, which Lucas Digne took gracefully under his spell and onto Rodriguez. The Colombian regained possession after his initial cross was blocked, and the rest is history.

On the edge of the Park End penalty box, Rodriguez curled another beauty, this time into the top corner of the net past a stranded Kasper Schmeichel. The Dane didn’t even bother to move, such was the brilliance of the strike which put Everton ahead on the half-hour.

Winner: Richarlison, Liverpool 0-2 Everton (Feb 2021)

But the winner stems from a Rodriguez assist, rather than another piece of South American wizardry.

In February, Everton returned to Anfield, a ground they had not previously won at since 1999. Rodriguez duly ripped up the record books, taking down Abdoulaye Doucouré’s header sublimely before feeding Richarlison wonderfully.

From there, the Brazilian made no mistake, smashing home a devastating finish past Alisson Becker on just three minutes, setting Everton on their way to a memorable 2-0 victory - their season highlight in many ways - and the breaking of that dreadful hoodoo.