Everton’s away end partied like a fanbase determined to make the most of a first game in years without the crushing pressure of a relegation fight.
The stoppage time assault from Luton Town would have been viewed through clasped fingers had there been anything riding on it but the jeopardy was gone after the heroics of last week.
This was still a feisty game though and there was plenty to talk about come the final whistle. Beyond the obvious narratives - including Ross Barkley’s complicated relationship with Everton - here are some moments of interest beyond the major headlines.
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Ashley Young riles up another set of supporters with cheeky goodbye
Ashley Young was engaged in his own battle with the Luton supporters throughout this contest. The hosts count Watford, where Young developed through the academy, as one of their biggest rivals and launched into a round of boos every time he touched the ball - though the same treatment was not given to another former Watford player, Abdoulaye Doucoure. The antagonism reached comic proportions, with Young booed off the pitch twice - first when he was wrongly announced as coming off and then when he eventually did get replaced by Seamus Coleman.
At one point the 38-year-old appeared to receive a dose of attention from different generations as he picked up a ball near the touchline to take a throw-in, agitated fans bending over the hoardings to make clear their views. The home supporters were able to gain double satisfaction with Elijah Adebayo’s equaliser because
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