There were just over 15 minutes on the clock when the first groan of the night from the Everton crowd came.
James Tarkowski had just misplaced a pass, and Blues supporters inside Goodison Park could not help but let their frustration show. It was a sign of things to come.
Although it should be pointed out that those inside Goodison did rise as one and let out one mighty roar when Beto headed past Bernd Leno.
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But those moments were very few and far between here. It was another one of those nights for Everton and their supporters.
After four straight victories, expectations were high heading into this game. Supporters rightly believed another big night under the Goodison lights was on the cards.
But the problem with modern-day Everton is that, on too many occasions, bust often very quickly follows boom. Things quite simply never go as planned or hoped.
Groans inside Goodison are not uncommon. Blues supporters are never scared to let their feelings be known.
“This is crap,” shouted one Blues supporter sitting in the Main Stand towards the end of the first-half. He certainly wasn’t wrong.
Supporters were ultimately groaning because of what they had come to expect from their side. Standards have been set in recent months, and they have been set high.
Of course, you can’t expect the same level of performance every week, but this felt like a moment when Everton really needed to turn up and grasp what was in front of them.
But they didn’t, and as supporters sit today reflecting on the events of last night, they do so thinking about another missed opportunity.
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