Leeds  1 – 1Brentford

Five-star Toffees crush Hull

Everton move eighth after biggest victory of league campaign

Everton continued their march up the Premier League with a comprehensive 5-1 demolition of Hull City at Goodison Park.

Mikel Arteta struck twice in the first half and played a part in the third – a Richard Garcia own goal – before Landon Donovan and Jack Rodwell sealed a sixth successive home league victory for the Toffees in the second period.

The victory is Everton’s biggest so far this season and means Hull have now conceded 11 goals on their two league trips to Merseyside, having lost 6-1 to Liverpool earlier in the campaign.

Young midfielder Tom Cairney had equalised for the Tigers with a brilliant volley just three minutes after Yakubu had a 29th minute penalty saved by Boaz Myhill.

The win powers David Moyes’ men above Fulham and Birmingham into eighth-place in the Premier League, just five points behind a potential European place.

Nightmare

Hull, who remain in the bottom three, struggled to live with their opponents for most of the game.

Midfield talisman Jimmy Bullard, returning after a three-month lay-off, failed to make an impact and the absences of Anthony Gardner and Andy Dawson weakened their defence considerably.

Were it not for Yakubu having a personal nightmare in front of goal, the damage could have been much worse.

It might have been different had Garcia taken an early chance after brilliantly controlling a high ball from Nick Barmby, but Tim Howard jumped to block his shot.

Everton hit back on the break with Arteta getting a chance to shoot after his poor pass was hit straight back to him by Kevin Kilbane but he sliced wide.

Arteta fired wide again moments later and Amr Zaki did no better at the other end with a scuffed effort.

Leon Osman then carved out Yakubu’s first clear-cut chance with a superb throughball but the Nigerian, alone up front in place of the injured Louis Saha, hit the post with Myhill beaten.

Yakubu did his best to put that behind him by delivering the deep cross for Arteta’s opener after 17 minutes.

The former Middlesbrough man found space on the left and picked out Arteta at the far post with precision.

Yakubu’s touch deserted him again soon after, however, as he missed from the spot, although Hull could claim the penalty award by referee Lee Mason was harsh in the first place.

It came after Hull were caught by Leighton Baines on the left and Yakubu went down as both he and Kamil Zayatte battled to reach his cross.

Yakubu was keen to take responsibility from 12 yards but his stop-start run-up was followed by a tame shot and Myhill saved to his right.

Hull made Yakubu pay as highly-rated teenager Cairney levelled superbly after 31 minutes.

Barmby’s free-kick was headed out by Phil Jagielka – making his first start of the season – and Cairney controlled on his chest before firing a left-footed shot across Howard from 20 yards.

One-way traffic

But the scores were not level for long as Victor Anichebe broke down the right and pulled the ball back into the box.

Steven Pienaar helped it on its way with a backheel and the inrushing Arteta slotted his second with a well-placed finish.

Everton really turned up the pressure early in the second half.

Arteta sensed a chance to claim a hat-trick soon after the restart when Pienaar was brought down by George Boateng but then hit his free-kick into the wall.

Yakubu’s hapless afternoon continued as he broke clear to square for Anichebe to tap in only to see the offside flag raised against him.

Rodwell, introduced just before half-time for the injured Osman, then saw a shot deflected against the post.

Persistence eventually paid off with a third goal after 51 minutes. Myhill flapped at an Arteta cross under his own crossbar and the unsuspecting Garcia could do little to prevent the ball bouncing off his head and in.

Arteta took the congratulations of his team-mates as if he had completed a treble but an own goal was recorded.

Pienaar then laid on a chance for Rodwell after breaking down the right but his shot was deflected wide.

The one-way traffic continued as Sylvain Distin broke into the box and shot straight at Myhill.

Yakubu endured more torment after combining well with substitute Donovan but then lifting over the bar from in front of goal.

Donovan, playing potentially his last home game for Everton before he returns to parent club LA Galaxy, showed him how to finish by smashing home a superb fourth goal after two Hull defenders failed to clear a Baines cross eight minutes from time.

Everton still had time for more as John Heitinga found Donovan out wide and the American pulled back for Rodwell to clip home a fifth.

Man of the match: Mikel Arteta. Took the game by the scruff of the neck from the first minute to the last, and grabbed a brace to-boot.

Moment of the match: Arteta elegantly placing the ball past Boaz Myhill for his second goal after a deft back-heel from Steven Pienaar.

Goal of the match: While Arteta’s second was poetry, Tom Cairney’s 20-yard volley was pure class and scoops this accolade.

Save of the match: Hull stopper Myhill guessed right to save Yakubu’s penalty at 1-1 and give the Tigers hope, albeit briefly.

Talking point: Will David Moyes be able to pursuade LA Galaxy to let him keep Landon Donovan until the end of the season?

Teams lineups

Everton

 Cards Rating

Tim Howard  7

Phil Jagielka  7

Sylvain Distin  7

John Heitinga  7

Leighton Baines  8

Phil Neville  7

Mikel Arteta  9

Leon Osman *  6

Steven Pienaar **  8

Yakubu Aiyegbeni 7

Victor Anichebe *** 6

Substitutes

Carlo Nash

Tony Hibbert

Joseph Yobo

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov

Jack Rodwell * 7

Dan Gosling ** 6

Landon Donovan *** 7

Hull City

Cards Rating

Boaz Myhill 7

Paul McShane 6

Steven Mouyokolo 5

Kamil Zayatte 6

Nick Barmby * 6

Tom Cairney 6

Kevin Kilbane 5

George Boateng 5

Jimmy Bullard *** 7

Richard Garcia 6

Amr Zaki ** 5

Substitutes

Matt Duke

Liam Cooper

Geovanni * 5

Seyi Olofinjana

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink ** 5

Kamel Ghilas

Jozy Altidore *** 5