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This was a likely outcome. In 19 previous encounters, Swansea had not beaten Everton, a team whose victory here means they are in the midst of their best winning run on home soil in 28 years.
Since losing to Sunderland at Goodison Park in December, Everton have now recorded eight wins in succession. Since beating Cardiff City in Garry Monk’s first game as interim manager at the start of February, Swansea have not won at all.
Here, the visitors might have taken at least a point, concluding both halves in the ascendancy. Yet Everton had done just enough. There was never a real sense that they would surrender a result which takes them to within eight points of a Champions League place with a game in hand on fourth-placed Arsenal.
Everton: The latest match picturesShow all 70 1 /70Everton: The latest match pictures Everton: The latest match pictures Hull 0 Everton 2 Romelu Lukaku, on what could be his last game for the club before rejoining Chelsea, celebrates with the away fans after the Toffees' victory
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Everton: The latest match pictures Hull 0 Everton 2 Aidan McGeadygets a shot off despite pressure from Maynor Figueroa
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Everton: The latest match pictures Hull 0 Everton 2 Romelu Lukaku celebrates after scoring the Toffees' second
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Everton: The latest match pictures Hull 0 Everton 2 Seamus Coleman tracks down Maynor Figueroa
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Everton: The latest match pictures Hull 0 Everton 2 Lacina Traore is tackled by Alex Bruce
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 1 Manchester City 1 Sergio Aguero fires home City's equaliser
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 1 Manchester City 1 Sergio Aguero dribbles past John Stones
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 1 Manchester City 1 Ross Barkley celebrates after opening the scoring with a superb strike
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Everton: The latest match pictures Southampton 2 Everton 0 Tim Howard looks on as the second own goal of the day goes past him
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Everton: The latest match pictures Southampton 2 Everton 0 Tim Howard can only look on as Seamus Coleman scores Everton's second own goal of the day
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Everton: The latest match pictures Southampton 2 Everton 0 The Saint's forward Sam Gallagher wheels away after Antolín Alcaraz's own goal
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Everton: The latest match pictures Southampton 2 Everton 0 Antolin Alcarez heads in an own goal to give Southampton the lead
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Manchester United 0 Leighton Baines strikes the opening goal from the spot in Everton's win over Manchester United
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Manchester United 0 Manchester United manager David Moyes looks on during his side's defeat to Everton
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Manchester United 0 Kevin Mirallas celebrates after scoring for Everton against Manchester United
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Cameron Jerome celebrates Palace's third - which proved to be the winner
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Kevin Mirallas scores Everton's second but it wasn't enough to claw back Palace
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Jason Puncheon scores Palace's opener
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Everton: The latest match pictures Sunderland 0 Everton 1 Seamus Coleman, Gerard Deulofeu and Steven Naismith of Everton celebrate after Wes Brown of Sunderland scores an own goal
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Arsenal 0 Kevin Mirallas celebrates Everton's third
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Arsenal 0 Kevin Mirallas has an effort on goal but the ball comes off Mikel Arteta for an own goal
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Arsenal 0 Ross Barkley has an effort on goal
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Arsenal 0 Romelu Lukaku celebrates his goal with manager Roberto Martinez
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Arsenal 0 Romelu Lukaku goes on a driving run and cuts inside to smash home Everton's second
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Arsenal 0 Steven Naismith celebrates his goal
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Arsenal 0 Steven Naismith slots home Everton's opening goal with a cool finish
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Arsenal 0 Bacary Sagna goes in for a tackle on Leighton Baines
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Arsenal 0 Leon Osman receives treatment and has to go off after a clash with Bacary Sagna
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Everton: The latest match pictures Fulham 1 Everton 3 Steven Naismith (left) scores Everton's third against Fulham
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Everton: The latest match pictures Fulham 1 Everton 3 Kevin Mirallas (right) celebrates Everton's second goal
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Everton: The latest match pictures Fulham 1 Everton 3 Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale fails to stop a shot by Steven Naismith (not pictured) of Everton for the opening goal
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Everton: The latest match pictures Newcastle 0 Everton 3 Ross Barkley silenced the Newcastle home fans after 22 minutes
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Everton: The latest match pictures Newcastle 0 Everton 3 Tim Krul vents his anger at his Newcastle teammates after conceding the first goal
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Everton: The latest match pictures Newcastle 0 Everton 3 Romelu Lukaku scores Everton's second goal
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Swansea 2 Ashley Williams scores in the last minute for Swansea
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Swansea 2 Romelu Lukaku restores Everton's lead
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Swansea 2 Leighton Baines opens the scoring from the penalty spot
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Cardiff 1 Seamus Coleman celebrates his late winner
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Cardiff 1 Seamus Coleman scores the winner late on for Everton
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Cardiff 1 Wilfried Zaha shots under pressure from John Stones
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Cardiff 1 Juan Cala equalises for Cardiff
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Cardiff 1 Gerard Deulofeu scores Everton's opening goal
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Everton: The latest match pictures Arsenal 4 Everton 1 Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil celebrate Arsenal's fourth goal and victory
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Everton: The latest match pictures Arsenal 4 Everton 1 Olivier Giroud scores his second and Arsenal's fourth against Everton to go through to the FA Cup semi finals
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Everton: The latest match pictures Arsenal 4 Everton 1 Mikel Arteta scores a penalty against his former club to put Arsenal 2-1 up
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Everton: The latest match pictures Arsenal 4 Everton 1 In a sun bathed Emirates Stadium, fellow England youngsters Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ross Barkley go in for a challenge
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Everton: The latest match pictures Arsenal 4 Everton 1 Romelu Lukaku celebrates after his goal makes it one all
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Everton: The latest match pictures Arsenal 4 Everton 1 Romelu Lukaku taps in to draw Everton level
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Everton: The latest match pictures Arsenal 4 Everton 1 Leighton Baines and Mesut Ozil contest a header during the FA Cup quarter final tie
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Everton: The latest match pictures Arsenal 4 Everton 1 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain congratulates Mesut Ozil after the German's opening goal
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Everton: The latest match pictures Arsenal 4 Everton 1 Mesut Ozil rejoins Arsenal's starting line up and puts the Gunners ahead
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 1 West Ham 0 Romelu Lukaku scores a late winner for Everton
Everton: The latest match pictures Chelsea 1 Everton 0 Chelsea celebrate late winner against Everton
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Everton: The latest match pictures Chelsea 1 Everton 0 John Terry and Frank Lampard celebrate after Chelsea go 1-0 up in the last minute
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Everton: The latest match pictures Chelsea 1 Everton 0 Chelsea take the lead against Everton in the last minute
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Everton: The latest match pictures Chelsea 1 Everton 0 Andre Schurrle and James McCarthy battle for the ball
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Everton: The latest match pictures Chelsea 1 Everton 0 Tim Howard stops a shot from Branislav Ivanovic
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Everton: The latest match pictures Chelsea 0 Everton 0 Frank Lampard and Leighton Baines don't hold back in a 50/50 tackle
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Everton: The latest match pictures Chelsea 0 Everton 0 Leon Osmon controls the ball despite pressure from three Chelsea players
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Everton: The latest match pictures Chelsea 0 Everton 0 Tim Howard punches clear despite pressure from John Terry
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 3 Swansea 1 Lacina Traore celebrates opening the scoring for Everton in this FA Cup match
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Everton: The latest match pictures Tottenham 1 Everton 0 Emmanuel Adebayor celebrates scoring the only goal of the game against Everton
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Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Aston Villa 1 Leandro Bacuna gives Villa the lead
Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Aston Villa 1 Bacuna celebrates his goal
Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Aston Villa 1 Kevin Mirallas has a shot at goal
Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Aston Villa 1 Distin and Benteke battle for the ball
Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Aston Villa 1 Steven Naismith equalises for Everton
Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Aston Villa 1 Kevin Mirallas gives Everton the lead with a free kick
Everton: The latest match pictures Everton 2 Aston Villa 1 Everton celebrate their winning goal
Everton: The latest match pictures Liverpool 4 Everton 0 Daniel Sturridge celebrates his second goal against Everton
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Monk remains convinced he can keep Swansea in the Premier League. “If I thought I wasn’t doing the right things, I am honest enough to know and I will hold my hands up,” he said.
For their latest setback, Monk cited a five-minute spell after half-time when Everton controlled proceedings and Swansea conceded twice. “You have to manage it properly, get through it unscathed and make the right choices,” he added. “We didn’t and it cost us dearly.”
Indeed it did. Roberto Martinez accepted his side were not at their best, sitting deep and inviting Swansea to attack. “But at this stage of the season, it’s about winning football games,” he said.
Everton’s opener came after Ross Barkley was tripped by Chico Flores, allowing Leighton Baines to display his usual conviction from the penalty spot. Swansea equalised through Wilfried Bony before the break when Aiden McGeady failed to follow Angel Rangel’s marauding charge.
It provoked Everton to begin the second half with enhanced intensity. Romelu Lukaku’s sliding finish gave his side the lead before Barkley bounced in a third from a corner.
Despite other clear goalscoring opportunities for Swansea, their efforts were only marked by Ashley Williams’ injury time header.
It leaves them facing fellow strugglers Norwich City next weekend, a tie that Monk described as “pivotal”.
Line-ups:
Everton (4-2-3-1): Howard; Coleman, Stones, Distin, Baines; McCarthy, Barry; Mirallas, Barkley (Naismith, 84), McGeady (Osman, 84); Lukaku (Deulofeu, 90).
Swansea City (4-2-3-1): Vorm; Rangel, Flores, Williams, Davies; Canas (De Guzman, 69), Britton; Dyer (Shelvey, 62), Hernandez, Routledge; Bony (Michu, 69).
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Man of the match: Barkley (Everton)
Match rating: 6/10
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