Andros Townsend’s screamer was the pick of the goals as Everton came from behind to beat Burnley 3-1.
The right midfielder, who arrived on a free from Crystal Palace in the summer, scored a magnificent, curling strike from 25 yards out, sending the Blues ahead on 65 minutes.
Earlier in the half, Ben Mee had headed the Clarets ahead before opposing central defender Michael Keane equalised on the hour mark with a header of his own against his old club.
Within a minute of Townsend’s strike, Demarai Gray was sent through on goal and calmly slotted past Nick Pope, making it 3-1.
Voted Man of the Match on the Everton Twitter, having also assisted Keane’s header, Townsend said after the match: “I have to give a shout-out to my mum because during the week she sent me a compilation video of all my goals.
“She told me I need to believe in myself again, I think you saw that with the goal here.
“Hopefully with the manager here I’ll keep getting in the right positions and score more goals and get more assists for this historic football club.”
It was an uneventful first half in which Burnley enjoyed much of the ball as the Toffees struggled to find their rhythm.
A wicked Dwight McNeil cross that Chris Wood failed to made proper contact with and an Abdoulaye Doucoure snapshot that was saved by Pope were the best opportunities for the two teams in the first period.
Eight minutes into the second half, the Everton players failed to pick up their men and Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s cross was met with Mee’s thumping header, firing Sean Dyche’s men in front.
It seemed as though it would be a frustrating evening for Rafael Benitez’s side but on 60 minutes, Townsend’s ball into the box was nodded in by Keane, levelling the score and bringing a collective sigh of relief from the Evertonians around Goodison Park.
Five minutes later, the 30-year-old wide man took centre stage as he took Doucoure’s pass in his stride and found the back of the net with a wonderful strike that fizzed through the air, flying well beyond Nick Pope’s despairing dive.
Goodison was sent into absolute delirium and fans barely had time to retake their seats before Doucoure turned architect once more with an incisive pass for Gray to run onto and the speedster found the net for the third time in as many league games.
It had been a whirlwind six minutes for the Blues and Doucoure almost increased the lead himself minutes later, only for his strike to be ruled out for offside.
During the final 20 minutes as the game settled down and Everton looked to protect what they had, Wood also had a goal disallowed and substitute Andre Gomes should have scored but poked his shot just wide after a well-worked move.
A drama-filled second half finally came to a close and the Toffees emerged 3-1 victors, extending their unbeaten start to the campaign to five matches.
It was also the second time this season already that Everton had come from behind to win at home, something they hadn’t managed before the opening day against Southampton in almost four years, a testament to the fighting spirit Benitez looks to have instilled in his squad.
The win sees the Blues climb to fourth in the table, level on points with league leaders Manchester United, and they look to continue their impressive start when they face Aston Villa away on Saturday.
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