As the 2,283 Evertonians inside Turf Moor belted out the famous lyrics to Forever Everton on the way to a fourth successive league victory, some of those lines resonated louder than ever.
‘Everton’s on the up and up,’ the Toffees sang - true. First-half goals from Amadou Onana and Michael Keane see Sean Dyche’s side leapfrog Nottingham Forest into 16th place in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone. The Blues would be level on points with eighth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion before taking into account the Premier League commission's 10-point deduction.
‘All for one; one for all,’ the Blues continued, a sentiment that rings true on and off the pitch, with the positivity and defiance from everyone connected to the Club on full show yet again on a victorious night in Lancashire.
Manager Sean Dyche was forced to make four changes from the side that started the 2-0 home win with Chelsea, with Onana, Keane, Nathan Patterson and Ben Godfrey all drafted into the starting line-up.
Idrissa Gana Gueye, Jarrad Branthwaite (both suspended), Vitalii Mykolenko (groin) and Ashley Young were the quartet to miss out.
That also saw Dyche tweak the shape of his side, with James Tarkowski, who captained the Blues on his first return to Turf Moor since departing after a six-and-a-half year stint with the Clarets, joined by Keane and Godfrey in a three-man defence, while Patterson and Dwight McNeil were deployed as wing-backs.
Burnley began the opening exchanges on the front foot as the Blues adapted to their new formation and new personnel.
But it was the visitors who created the first opportunity of the game as the clock struck nine minutes, McNeil heading wide uncontested following Jack Harrison’s cross from the right flank.
The Toffees then forced James Trafford into action, with the Burnley goalkeeper producing an excellent save to keep out Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s low header after bright work from Patterson.
The opener came from the resulting corner, as McNeil - on his 50th Premier League appearance for Everton - sailed in a deep corner for Onana to nod home from close range.
Keane doubled the advantage seven minutes later, capping a simple but highly-effective move.
Jordan Pickford’s free-kick was helped on by Tarkowski and when Keane’s initial low drive was parried by Trafford, the returning defender displayed impressive composure to slot home the rebound to send the travelling supporters behind the goal of the Barnfield Construction Stand into delirium.
Everton controlled proceedings for the 20 minutes that followed, until deep into added time when Godfrey was on hand to keep the Clarets at bay.
Sprinting towards his own goal, Godfrey managed to slide and scoop Vitinho’s cross off the goal line and behind for a corner, with Zeki Amdouni lurking for a tap-in had he not intervened.
Abdoulaye Doucouré was replaced by Lewis Dobbin at the interval in what looked like another fitness concern for Dyche.
Burnley began the second period brightly but, yet again, Everton remained in control and restricted to their opponents to nothing in the way of chances on goal.
In fact, just after the hour mark, Keane went close to adding a third for Everton, but his shot from a seemingly impossible angle struck the outside of the post and was scrambled clear after Trafford failed to deal with Garner’s deep in-swinging corner.
It took until 64 minutes until Pickford was forced into making a meaningful save and, when it did arrive, he was typically alert to palm Amdouni’s hopeful 25-yard drive around the post for a corner.
With 10 minutes remaining, Sander Berge struck the crossbar with a side-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area but the offside flag was raised immediately afterwards for a potential offside in Pickford’s sightline.
Everton saw out the final moments with little drama to secure a fourth consecutive win without conceding a goal for the first time since November 2002.
Next up is the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Fulham at Goodison Park on Tuesday (7.45pm GMT).
