Even the Prince of Wales feared for Aston Villa ahead of their visit to Everton. While draining a pint of cider with Goodison Park-bound Villa supporters, Prince William apparently said he expected the Merseysiders to profit from new-manager bounce, after David Moyes replaced Sean Dyche in the hotseat.

The prince spending 30 minutes inside a Wetherspoon pub discussing Premier League football is illustrative of the universal appeal of England’s behemothic top-flight. In terms of his outlook when it comes to his favourite team, he shares the common football supporters’ trait of spying danger around every corner. Occasionally, however, things turn out okay.

Moyes began his first Everton reign with a 2-1 win over Fulham in March 2002 – when the prince was still a teenager – to usher in a largely positive 11 years in charge.

It is far too premature to debate whether the Scot should have heeded the adage about never going back, but 23 years after rousing a previously directionless, slumbering Everton, he was unable to repeat the feat. News of the action from Goodison is where we will begin our round-up of what happened while you were sleeping.

Princely Villa wreck Moyes return

If you want an idea of how mystifyingly, startlingly unimaginative Everton had become under Dyche, then consider that the three shots on target they mustered against Villa will be viewed as progress.