Premier League: Everton Trash Hull City 4-0
Romelu Lukaku ended a week in which he turned down a lucrative new contract offer with two goals as Everton beat 10-man Hull City to move level on points with fifth-placed Arsenal.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin tapped home from close range to put the Toffees ahead after connecting with Tom Davies’s low cross – his first Premier League goal.
Sam Clucas and Andrew Robertson both wasted chances for the visitors before Tom Huddlestone was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Idrissa Gueye.
Substitute Enner Valencia doubled Everton’s lead before Lukaku struck twice in stoppage time to take his Premier League tally to 21 for the season.
Lukaku started the week by turning down the most lucrative contract offer in Everton’s history before ending it at the top of the Premier League goalscoring charts.
Everton fans refused to turn on the 23-year-old and instead roared when his name was announced over the speakers before the game.
He had twice gone close from distance before he struck in the first minute of stoppage time after being put through by Valencia.
Romelu Lukaku is only the fourth player to score 80+ Premier League goals before the age of 24
That ensured Lukaku became the first Everton player to score at least 20 league goals in a season since Gary Lineker hit 30 in 1985-86.
And he wasn’t done.
With seconds left, Lukaku rounded off another fine Everton home win with the fourth after pouncing on a poor back pass – his ninth goal in his last six league games.
Everton’s contract offer remains on the table and Toffees fans still hope further negotiations could end in an agreement.
Everton have now won six successive league games at home to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Europa League.
Those six games have seen Ronald Koeman’s side find the net 22 times, while the Toffees have amassed 23 points – more than any of their rivals – from 10 league games in 2017.
They took the lead when Calvert-Lewin, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Thursday, struck from close range in only his sixth league appearance.
It remained 1-0 until 12 minutes from time when Valencia struck 69 seconds after coming on, a neat finish following Lukaku’s pass before the latter went on to take the game away from Hull.
This was Hull’s heaviest league defeat since Marco Silva took charge in January – and one of their most damaging.
Having started the day one point from safety, the Tigers are three points adrift of 17th spot with nine matches remaining.
They include matches against fellow strugglers Middlesbrough and Sunderland at home, and Crystal Palace away.
Yet Silva knows his side will have to improve away from home if they are to stay up.
Hull were very much in the game until Huddlestone’s red card saw them capitulate.
The former Tottenham player got his marching orders after going in hard on Gueye – a challenge which is set to see him miss the next three games.
