It was Déjà vu for Everton star after West Ham goal but the landscape is far different two years later

Dominic Calvert-Lewin gave Everton fans a touch of Déjà vu at the weekend as his sole goal gave his side a 1-0 away victory over West Ham - two years on from doing the very same thing.

Their last victory away against the Hammers came in May 2021 under Carlo Ancelotti and it was three points that pushed them closer to European qualification at the time, but they eventually finished eighth despite a strong start to the campaign.

The club has been through a lot of turmoil since then after surviving back-to-back relegations but hope has sprung anew in recent weeks under Sean Dyche in his first full season in charge.

Wins over Aston Villa (EFL Cup) Brentford, Bournemouth and now West Ham have moved them five points clear of the bottom four and all four victories have displayed a structure and confidence and fluidity that has been missing for some time.

Calvert-Lewin, 26, netted 16 in the league that season two years ago (and 21 in all competitions) in what his best season in the top-flight and despite a frustrating start to this campaign, he now has four in eight and is proving to be a reliable figure up top.

Of course, the elephant in the room is the fact he has endured a torrid time with injuries but with the signings of Youssef Chermiti and Beto, Dyche can manage his star man better than his predecessors could as they are now viable options to alternate him with.

West Ham, despite their recent drop-off, have been a tough side to beat this season and boast a tough starting eleven but a well-earned win at the London Stadium will give them, and Calvert-Lewin, the confidence to push on and, as the manager constantly says in press conferences, change the story.

Dyche is referring to moving away from relegation worries, but the story two years ago was that Everton were close to European football under Ancelotti as they finished eighth. Now they find themselves in a rebuild stage, looking to move away from the bottom of the table and back into the mid-rift of the Premier League, and beyond.

It’s unclear when we will see them back amongst the top eight teams in the league but with a spine developing, their recent winning form and Calvert-Lewin looking fit and confident once again, fans can look towards the future with a renewed hope that they are watching a side that is far more balanced and has something of a structure.

“You could say a tricky season, maybe it was a tricky start to the season in the first few games, but I think in the last few games, bar the derby where things went against us, we’ve been good. Long may it continue.” Is what Calvert-Lewin said after the game and with the fans being deprived of any sort of successes in recent years, they will hope that statement will come true and whatever happens, he is likely to be at the centre of it all.