It was a sea of blue from four hours before kick-off. Flares — the kind Richarlison likes to chuck — were lit everywhere you looked, the plumes of smoke even setting off alarms in the stadium.
The smell outside the ground was like Bonfire Night, the atmosphere like Notting Hill Carnival. ‘Just imagine if we won something,’ laughed one fan.
It has been this way before games here all month, when Evertonians chose to put all frustrations with their failing club, temporarily, to one side.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed home with five minutes remaining to clinch the 3-2 victory
‘When you have to fight for your life, you appreciate that life more,’ said another supporter.