If Saturday's battling draw at Manchester City brought a sense of renewed optimism to Everton supporters, Tuesday's feeble defeat by Brighton left them staring at the prospect of a second successive, nerve-shredding battle against relegation - and raised further questions about the future of manager Frank Lampard.
After falling behind through Kaoru Mitoma's first-half strike at Goodison Park, Everton collapsed in alarming fashion in the second as the Seagulls scored three goals in the space of just six minutes, with Demarai Gray's late penalty nothing more than a consolation for the home side.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live that the Toffees now have a "really big decision to make" regarding the future of Lampard, whose side were booed off at half-time and after the final whistle.