Everton manager Sam Allardyce praised the persistence from his side after a 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Gaetan Bong’s own goal and Cenk Tosun's strike in the second half were enough to wear down Albion’s defence, and Allardyce was pleased that his side were able to maintain their solid home form.
He said, “We were only missing that quality in the final third in the first half in order to go in front after dominating it. When we produced that quality, we got our noses in front and deservedly so.
“After Yannick Bolasie’s ball, it is a shame it’s an own goal and not a Theo Walcott goal. It was a quality cross into the box and Theo has put pressure on the defender.
“The second goal was why we brought Cenk to the Club. That’s two in two for him now. That came at the right time for us because going into the final stages of the game 1-0 up can be nervous.
“Then we saw a little bit of quality from Dominic [Calvert-Lewin] for the penalty and it was a shame Wayne missed it.
“Overall it's a very good performance at home, which isn’t unusual. It was what has been delivered on a regular basis. Our record over the past ten home games is seven wins, two draws and only one defeat. On that basis, we are a top six side in points gained.”
The Toffees boss also praised the performance of Wayne Rooney, who played an influential role in midfield.
“Wayne had a good performance in a deeper role. I thought he mastered that position. He was our prompter, kept the ball moving and the flow of our attacks going.
“After the hiccup of losing Idrissa [Gueye] and Morgan [Schneiderlin] to illness first thing in the morning, we were left a little bit wanting in terms of who could play defensive midfield.
“So that’s why I am so pleased about Wayne and what he did.”