Everton sent Goodison Park into delirium on this day in 2007 as Yakubu and Tim Cahill ran riot to beat Sunderland 7-1. It remains the Toffees’ joint-biggest Premier League result yet.
David Moyes’ side completed a mauling on Merseyside to thrash the Black Cats and delight their manager. The Scot considered their display to be one of the best of his spell in charge at the time. He stood at the Goodison helm from March 2002 to June 2013 for 518 games.
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“That was probably the best performance in my time here,” Moyes raved, via BBC Sport. “Some of our football was fantastic and our passing and movement was just outstanding.”
Everton took their joint-biggest Premier League win on this day over Sunderland
Everton beat Southampton 7-1 in 1996 before thrashing Sunderland by the same scoreline on this day in 2007. The Toffees’ demolition of the Saints 11 years earlier also occurred at Goodison. Gary Speed scored a hat-trick as Joe Royle’s squad humbled Graeme Souness’.
Moyes would see the Merseyside outfit match the result when they mauled the Black Cats 15 years ago. Everton have not beaten a team in the Premier League by six goals since and have only won 6-0 once. They thrashed West Ham United, also on home soil, back in 1999.
Yakubu got Everton off to the perfect start when the Nigeria hero broke the deadlock after just 12 minutes. It was not long before Cahill doubled the Toffees’ advantage, either, with the Australia icon firing home five minutes later. Yet it took to the 43rd minute for a third.
Steven Pienaar appeared to put the game to bed when he lashed Nuno Valente’s perfect cross high into Craig Gordon’s net. But Dwight Yorke gave the Black Cats a slim bit of hope in stoppage time. Only for Cahill, Yakubu, Andy Johnson and Leon Osman to score again.
Roy Keane stood in the Sunderland dugout as Everton beat his squad 7-1 on November 24, 2007. He had no answers for the efforts Moyes’ men managed and pointed to a couple of mistakes at full-time. But the Irishman took no praise away from the rampant Toffees side.
“You have to learn quickly in the Premier League and Everton took great advantage of our shortcomings,” he conceded. “Everton have got three or four really outstanding players.”
Moyes had the Toffees firing on all cylinders during a scintillating showing
Moyes had the Toffees firing on all cylinders to produce a scintillating attacking display at Goodison against the Black Cats. The Scot recalled Mikel Arteta to the starting line-up after the now-Arsenal manager missed their previous 1-1 draw away at Chelsea due to an injury.
Yet despite not playing for two-and-a-half weeks, Arteta pulled the strings in place of Tony Hibbert. The Spaniard twisted and turned his way through the Sunderland side to the bane of Ian Harte. He eventually found Phil Neville on the wing to assist Cahill’s first of the day.
Yakubu had already given Everton’s bright start its reward when he took advantage of Paul McShane’s slip. The striker was a bit fortunate to see his shot beat Gordon having taken an unfortunate deflection off of Danny Higginbotham. Yet it was no more than they deserved.
Kenwyne Jones going close for Sunderland when his shot flew inches wide of a beaten Tim Howard’s post kept Everton honest. But Pienaar had the ideal response approaching half-time when the South African fired home. Only for Yorke to pull a goal back after the break.
Sunderland started the second half strongly by forcing Howard into action after shots from Grant Leadbitter and Carlos Edwards raised questions. But it was just a small hiccup for the hosts. Cahill capitalised on further poor defending to break for his third goal of the season.
Yakubu soon had his fifth of the top-flight term, too, as he converted a corner from close range. Moyes then opted to rest his forward and Cahill as Johnson returned from surgery. It only took the eight-cap England ace a matter of touches to score as he chipped Gordon.
Mikel Arteta produced a ‘magic’ display on a memorable day on Merseyside
One of Everton’s best performers for Moyes as they thrashed Sunderland 7-1 on this day in 2007 was Arteta. The Scot waxed lyrical over the Spaniard’s efforts having carved the Black Cats apart when on the ball. Arteta was also key to Cahill’s first and Yakubu’s second goals.
“Arteta’s first 45 minutes was nothing short of magical,” Moyes enthused, via Sky Sports at the time. “The opportunities he created were fantastic and it was hard to believe he was coming back from injury. On his day he’s as good as anybody.”
Sunderland losing sight of Arteta for a split second inside the box gave Yakubu the space to secure his brace. The Spaniard also enjoyed heaps of success on the ball as the tormented the Black Cats to no end. The visitors’ errors also gifted the Toffees their chances to score.
Osman was not to waste his chance from yet another Sunderland error. The Black Cats had given up goals to Yakubu, Cahill and Johnson with Neville’s pass catching them cold for the striker to charge. And Osman added as he ran almost unchallenged from the halfway line.
The result put Everton eighth in the table after 14 games having won seven times to start the 2007/08 season. Sunderland, on the other hand, fell to 18th after two wins in their 14 games. But the Black Cats clawed out of the drop zone as the Toffees ended in fifth place.
Cahill also finished the season with seven goals and three assists across 18 Premier League games thanks partly to his brace as Everton beat Sunderland 7-1 on this day in 2007. While Yakubu saw out the campaign after striking home 15 and creating three goals in 31 games.
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