Everton brushed aside Hull 2-0 at Goodison Park on Saturday to extend their unbeaten run to six matches.
David Moyes’ side are looking a good bet to clinch a European place again now their home form is back on track and first-half goals from Marouane Fellaini and Mikel Arteta were enough to tame the Tigers.
The foundation of Everton’s impressive run has been a stingy defence that hasn’t conceded a goal for six matches and they were hardly over-extended by a Hull team sliding down the table in alarming fashion.
Hull winger Nick Barmby, who left Goodison Park for Liverpool almost nine years ago, was taunted by the home fans in the early stages.
But the former England international helped Hull make a decent start. Phil Brown’s side could have scored after 11 minutes when Michael Turner rose unchallenged to head just over from a corner.
That near-miss proved to be a false dawn for the Tigers and it was Everton who took the lead in the 18th minute. Leighton Baines crossed to Fellaini, who was gifted far too much space and the midfielder took full advantage with a header into the far corner.
Fellaini should have had a second goal after 27 minutes, but his header from six yards went wide following Tim Cahill’s cross from the right.
Hull were struggling to find any rhythm by that point and when Turner fouled Tim Cahill 30 yards out in first-half stoppage-time, Arteta punished them.
The Spanish midfielder was making his 150th appearance for the club and marked the occasion in style with a superb free-kick that flashed past Boaz Myhill.
Fellaini went from hero to villain early in the second half when he was booked for a foul on Turner, earning a suspension which rules him out of the next two matches – both Merseyside derby clashes with Liverpool in the league and FA Cup.
With the game growing increasingly tetchy, Moyes then sent on Victor Anichebe for Cahill in an attempt to protect the Australian, who was once again deployed as a makeshift forward.
Hull rarely threatened to get back into the match and the visitors, their early-season sparkle a distant memory, have now won just one of their last 12 matches.
