Neither manager seems particularly happy with the state of officiating, then. Which should give the referees pause, but, well, y’know. “We saw it last weekend at Anfield and elsewhere, and again this weekend, and all evidence suggests that Howard Webb’s reponse to VAR criticism is to abdicate all responsibility,” writes David Dein. “He was a weak referee so it’s absolutely no surprise to see him weak with the top position in the referees body. The whole body is not fit for purpose.”

David Moyes speaks to Sky Sports. “The efforts were good … the performance didn’t reach what we’ve been doing recently … getting three points in the Premier League, you take it any way you can … hugely important for us, it keeps us nearer the top end … I have to give Coventry credit … we had no divine right to come here and think you’d beat Coventry … I didn’t … I don’t think we did … things could have gone the other way for them … it’s not a night for being negative, I just know we can play much better … I’m bothered [about VAR mistakes] because we want it to be right … but we’ve had a few decisions recently that we don’t think have gone [our way] … Newcastle, Man City last season, which was hugely important for us getting into Europe and didn’t go in our favour … sometimes things go for you, and sometimes they don’t … it’s easier to talk about it when they go for you … if it had gone against me I’d have probably been complaining a bit more.”

The Premier League table. Everton leapfrog their neighbours and rivals into fifth spot; Coventry remain in 16th. Both teams will take heart from tonight’s performance, albeit in very different ways.

Lampard tries to leave for the international break on a high: “We’re getting better, and tonight’s result doesn’t change that.”

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s turn to talk to Sky. “Very important … it’s been a fantastic week … three games, three wins … so, so happy with the way the lads responded to going down tonight … really happy we’ve managed to get the three points … happy, happy days! … we never know when we’re out of a game … every time we’ve gone behind we’ve acted in a positive manner … their goal has kicked us into gear … that shouldn’t happen really but it did and after they scored we turned it up a notch … we were fantastic for the last 30 minutes and they couldn’t deal with it.”

Thierno Barry talks to Sky Sports. “I am very happy … we wanted to win … and I scored two goals! … I just try to do my best … I want to score in every game … I am in good form in this moment … I will try to keep on.”

He’s also asked about the potential use of an arm in his second goal, but unsurprisingly straight-bats that line of questioning: “A goal is a goal.”

And then the final gambit from Sky interviewer: “I have the player of the match award but you have to do your dance first before I pass it on, come on.”

No, you come on. Let’s maintain some decorum, shall we? Barry politely declines; he’d have been well within his rights to tell the Sky dude to bugger off and file the award where the sun doesn’t shine.

Everton celebrate to the soundtrack of Elton John taking a guess as to why they call it the Blues. And well they might! They responded magnificently to falling behind early in the second half. Having been practically somnambulant up until that point, they awoke with a start, Thierno Barry scoring twice and setting up Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for an absolute thriker to decide a hard-fought game. Full marks for all of that … though they were given a big hand by VAR, who denied Coventry two possible penalties, and waved through the role of Barry’s left arm in Everton’s second goal. Really fine margins decided all three moments, and it’ll be interesting to hear Frank Lampard’s view. But tonight’s about David Moyes, Mr 592, whose Catterick-equalling feats have been rewarded with a win that takes the Toffees into the international break on a high. Coventry will go away to lick their wounds, but theirs wasn’t the performance of a relegation team, and they will surely play worse and win.

90 min +6: Mykolenko dinks a cross in from the left. Hackney tries to guide a diving header across Rushworth and towards the bottom right, but only finds the keeper. Barry, on a hat-trick, standing just behind, may have notes.

90 min +4: Barry launches into an enthusiastic 50-50 with Pinnock, and even though Coventry win the throw, he celebrates with his fans. It’s been his evening, even if Dewsbury-Hall scored the pick of the goals. Two goals and an assist, it’s hard to top!

90 min +2: Hamer, quarterbacking from deep on the left, releases Tchaouna into the box with a glorious sliderule pass. Tchaouna spins and fizzes a low shot-cum-cross through the six-yard box. The pass deserved a more composed finish.

90 min +1: The first of six additional minutes.

90 min: Branthwaite showed a stud or two in that challenge, but it wasn’t high enough for a red. David Moyes hooks him nonetheless, sending on Keane in his place. Alcaraz also comes on, for George.

89 min: Branthwaite takes a heavy touch and, in lunging to retrieve the situation, catches Yirenkyi. He goes into the book … as does Yirenkyi, who had hauled back George earlier in the passage of play.

87 min: Coventry make a quadruple change. Torp, Sakamoto, Rudoni and Awoniyi make way for Grimes, Tchaouna, Cherif and Hamer.

85 min: George shoots from a tight angle on the left. Rushworth kicks clear. Barry heads the rebound straight back at the keeper … but inches wide of the right-hand post. Barry probably should have done better, and yet you can hardly pick fault with a man who has scored two and set up another.

83 min: It’s been an evening of the finest margins, and that time Coventry played Dewsbury-Hall onside by the length of a toenail. When it’s not going your way, it’s not going your way.

79 min: George has a whack from distance. Well over the bar. “Coventry hss been screwed by VAR today,” writes Everton supporter and all-round good egg Mary Waltz. “And that is why BIN VAR is on my stationary.”

78 min: Coventry enjoy a bit of sterile possession in the midfield. The Everton support respond by cranking up the volume in the hope of getting their lads over the line. Speaking of which … “The swing in the xG in Everton’s favour to ‘1.24 to 1.12’ is hardly overwhelming, and I’m an Everton fan,” writes Barry McAuley. “Still, will be delighted if they see this particular banana skin out. Seem to slip on most of them!”

76 min: Thierno Barry is on a hat-trick … and is now into double figures for the season. His ninth and tenth goals tonight. This is also his third consecutive scoring game. No wonder he’s got his dancing shoes on.

74 min: Coventry respond by replacing their goalscorer Gboho with Thomas-Asante. “Absolute joke VAR!” exclaims Robert Jones. “Three gross decisions by Timothy Wood!”

73 min: A triple change for Everton, as Dibling, Rohl and Armstrong make way for Johnson, Hackney and O’Brien.

72 min: Nothing comes of the corner.

71 min: Torp launches himself at Dewsbury-Hall, a frustrated swipe. He’s very fortunate his opponent sashays clear of the challenge and away, eventually winning a corner. Had that attempted challenge connected, the referee would have had some work to do.

69 min: … but having said that, what a response since falling behind. Everton have hauled themselves back into this game with verve and passion, and they’ve got their reward. The xG is now 1.24 to 1.12.

67 min: Replays do suggest the ball brushed Barry’s left arm as he brought the ball down before forcing it over the line from close range. Everton have certainly had the benefit of some generous VAR calls tonight; it’s going to be very interesting to hear Frank Lampard’s take.

66 min: Some space for Dewsbury-Hall down the inside-left channel. He power-curls towards the top left, but his shot is turned around the post by Rushworth. No corner, as there had been a foul earlier in the move.

65 min: Rudoni crosses from the right, but Awoniyi can’t power a header goalwards. It doesn’t feel like the scoring is over.

64 min: That did look like a handball, but perhaps the evidence wasn’t 100 percent clear. Either way, Coventry won’t be happy with VAR Timothy Wood at all this evening.

62 min: There was a question of handball as Barry jumped with Dasilva. But VAR doesn’t see anything untoward, and the goal stands! Everton looked on the ropes, but how they’ve responded!

60 min: Dewsbury-Hall swivels just inside the Coventry box and shoots. Pinnock blocks. All of a sudden, Everton look really lively in attack. Going behind really woke them up. And then …

59 min: A free kick for Everton out on the left. Dewsbury-Hall curls it in. Barry competes for a header but can’t get an effort on target this time. Coventry counter quickly through Awoniyi, who should release Gboho, but his pass into the centre from the left is no good. The ball’s shuttled on to Rudoni, who wins a corner from which nothing comes. This match is wide open now, and great fun!

56 min: The game suddenly unfolds into a basketball match. Did Armstrong handle a left-wing cross in the Everton box? Nope! Did Pinnock impede Tarkowski up the other end? Nope! Should Gboho have done better upon spinning Mykolenko down the right? Yes! And then …

54 min: VAR has a good look for offside, but there isn’t one. The goal stands. Coventry would have been fuming had another decision gone against them!

51 min: Tell you what, that Mykolenko clip on Awoniyi was very close to being on the line. One angle looks like just outside, another the striker’s toe on the line. Who’d be a referee, huh?

50 min: Armstrong scuffs a shot goalwards from a tight angle on the right. It’s easy for Rushworth, but Everton’s first on-target effort for nearly 40 minutes. Coventry then counter through Dasilva, whose cross from the right only just evades Awoniyi in the middle.

49 min: VAR deems the clip on the ankle to be just outside the box. It looked on the line to the naked eye, but that vile jelly can play tricks on you. Be interested to see that again, mind. Everton very close once again to conceding a spot kick.

48 min: Torp slips a ball down the inside-right channel for Awoniyi, who enters the box and feels a light shove from Mykolenko on his back. Or is there a clip on his heel? Either way, he goes over, and VAR is definitely going to take a look at this.

46 min: Gboho immediately strides into space down the middle and, with options either side, opts to shoot himself. The shot’s deflected and bobbles through to Pickford.

Coventry get the second half started. Neither side has made a change.

On Sky Sports, studio pundits Jamie Redknapp and Callum Wilson both suggest James Tarkowski got away with a big one for tugging on Yirenkyi’s hair (39 min). Never mind planting his arm across Pinnock’s face in the same challenge! It should have been a penalty to Coventry, no question. No idea why VAR didn’t get involved.

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45 min: Rohl shanks a right-wing cross out for a goal kick, and it’s the Coventry fans you can hear as they make fun of the Everton player. The home fans are pretty subdued at the moment. One minute of bonus first-half time to come.

44 min: … and so Torp sends a dipping long-range rake over the wall and towards the bottom left. Pickford deals with it. To be honest, it’s just as well the keeper makes the save, because Dasilva had quite a handful of Dibling’s shirt in the tussle that led to the free kick. Everton would have been livid had that decision led to a goal.

43 min: Coventry win another throw in Everton territory, deep down the left. It’s launched long and only half cleared. Everton can’t get out. Dibling and Dasilva grapple, 25 yards out, and Coventry get the decision. A free kick in a dangerous position, just to the left of centre.

41 min: Rudoni shimmies his way down the inside-right channel before unleashing a low bobbler across Pickford and inches wide of the left-hand corner. Goal kick. Not sure Pickford was getting to that. Everton were on top for a while back there; now it’s all Coventry, and the xG is now 0.28 for Everton to the visitors’ 0.57.

39 min: George and Torp collide in the midfield. Free kick to Coventry, whose player was taken out in mid-air. The resulting free kick is launched towards the Everton box. Tarkowski goes up with Yirenkyi, and gives the Coventry man’s hair a snide tug. He also manages to slap his arm across Pinnock’s startled face. VAR isn’t interested in looking at either part of that challenge; Tarkowski has got away with one two there.

37 min: … and now a long throw into the Everton box from the left causes minor bedlam. The ball drops to Rudoni, on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box … but he can’t sort his feet out to get a proper shot away. The home crowd getting a bit agitated now as Coventry get closer and closer.

36 min: Branthwaite’s poor clearing header is intercepted and sent back into the Everton box down the inside-right channel. Sakamoto shoots from a tight angle. Pickford parries. Coventry growing and growing.

35 min: Yirenkyi, Rudoni and Sakamoto combine well down the right to earn Coventry’s first corner of the evening. Rudoni swings it in. Pickford half-punches, half-slaps the ball clear, doing just enough. The visitors are getting on top.

33 min: Torp slides Awoniyi into acres down the right. He should stride into the box and have a whack, but tries to find Gboho in the middle with a low cross that the back-tracking Dibling cuts out. Torp and Dibling come out of this looking good; the lads either side of their contributions, not so much.

32 min: A bit of space for Torp down the inside-left channel. Hoick! Goal kick! Just beforehand, Sakamoto and Dewsbury-Hall traded misplaced passes. This has got a wee bit scrappy.

30 min: Yirenkyi crosses from the right. The ball’s deflected, so Pickford does extremely well to gather in the middle of a crowded six-yard box.

29 min: … so having said that, Rohl makes good down the right and, had he sent over a better cross, Coventry were in a bit of trouble with some blue shirts lurking. But the ball sails out for a goal kick.

28 min: Sakamoto nearly gets the better of Mykolenko down the right, but the full-back holds his position and draws a needless foul from the Coventry winger. The visitors suddenly looking a little bit more confident.

27 min: Now Dibling plays a loose pass in midfield, and suddenly a little bit of air has been taken out of the HDS. Everton squandering their momentum with some careless play.

25 min: Pickford skulls a dreadful pass upfield that’s easily intercepted. Groans. The keeper’s nearly punished severely when Gboho advances down the inside-left channel and shoots, but the ball sails wide of the left-hand post.

23 min: Everton probe down both flanks, calmly and confidently. No rush. Then suddenly Dibling picks up the pace down the right and shuttles a pass to Barry, just inside the box. Barry floats a cross that’s easy pickings for Rushworth. A disappointing end to a period of Evertonian play that was easy on the eye.

21 min: More space for Dasilva down the left. This time he’s able to whip a cross into the box. Rudoni is in a bit of space, ten yards out, but can’t adjust his body shape to steer a header goalwards. The ball slaps harmlessly wide left. That’s whistled Coventry’s xG all the way up to 0.04. Baby steps.

20 min: Dasilva and Gboho try to get something going for Coventry down the left, but their cute interplay, sprinkled by a spot of juggling, is comprehensively interrupted by Tarkowski. Attack over.

18 min: Everton now top the possession stats, having had 52 percent of the ball overall, which shows how much the momentum has swung in the last 11 minutes. The home side well on top.

16 min: George swings in a cross from the left. Torp attempts to head clear, but under pressure can only send the ball backwards and out for a corner on the left. The set piece is played short, then finally hit deep by Garner; Branthwaite can’t keep the ball in at the far stick. Goal kick. Meanwhile Richard Hirst, of sixth-minute assumptions fame, is back: “I well remember David Moyes’s first game as Everton manager: it was against Fulham and Everton scored in the first minute, going on to win 2-1. I’ve borne a grudge against him ever since, so it was a big effort on my part to send the previous message of support for Everton!”

15 min: This already doesn’t feel like it’s going to be a 0-0. The xG not quite telling that story: it’s currently 0.23 to a big fat zero in Everton’s favour.

13 min: George makes a nuisance of himself down the left and earns a free kick. Dewsbury-Hall swings the set piece into the mixer … at which point pinball-style bedlam erupts. The ball bagatelles in the six-yard box. Armstrong dinks over Rushworth and tries to head home from the closest of ranges … only for Torp to telescope a leg and hook clear. Barry also tries to force home, but Coventry hold firm and then the whistle goes for a handball by the striker. Well that was fun.

11 min: Dewsbury-Hall drags a meek shot wide right. Then Everton come again, Garner going long down the inside-right channel, finding Dibling free … but Dibling, making his first Premier League start of the season, can’t bring the ball down. Both teams are looking lively in attack.

9 min: Everton respond to that minor shock well. Dewsbury-Hall probes down the left; Mfuni closes the door. Pinnock then denies Barry as he probes on the other flank. Finally Mykolenko has a bash from the right-hand edge of the D, and Rushworth parries well.

7 min: Coventry have enjoyed 63 percent of possession so far. They’re looking confident. Yirenkyi drops deep on the left and sends a diagonal into the box hoping to find Awoniyi. Too much height, though the ball then nearly creeps into the bottom right, and it’s not clear Pickford had his bearings there. Goal kick. Inches away from embarrassment.

6 min: Mfuni passes back weakly and nearly lets Barry in. Coventry clear their lines just in time. Other than that, it’s been a quiet start in terms of action; both sets of fans are giving it plenty however. “I think we’re all with Mary Waltz on this one,” assumes Richard Hirst. “So come on Everton, for Mary’s sake; she deserves it, living under the orange one. Sorry, Coventry supporters.”

4 min: In other former-rival news, Awoniyi, erstwhile of Liverpool, tries to make good down the right. He doesn’t get anywhere. He never played a minute for Everton’s city rivals, either.

2 min: Coventry tonight become the 45th different club David Moyes has faced as a Premier League manager. Their fans are currently giving Dewsbury-Hall an ear-splitting what-for as a former Leicester star. The M69 representing.

Everton get the ball rolling. The Hill Dickinson loud. “Not only did the aforementioned David Speedie just miss out on the FA Cup and Charity Shield with Coventry, but also played for Liverpool between their league title in 1990 and FA Cup in 1992,” notes Tim Woods. “He then left Blackburn a little before their league title. Not the luckiest career, but a fondly remembered name for all football fans of that era.”

It’s that time …

… so here come the players. No sounding of the usual siren, as a mark of respect on remembrance weekend. Everton in their royal blue, Coventry in second-choice white tops. We’ll be off once the Last Post has sounded. RIP the fallen.

Mr 592 II talks to Sky. “I’m really proud of [equalling Harry Catterick’s record] to be honest … it’s not easy for any manager to manage one club for 592 games … the world we’re in now, managers don’t get that long … so I’ve been really privileged to work under really good people who gave me the opportunity to manage this club … the first time here was a lot longer … this time has been just a couple of years but I'm enjoying it … Coventry are a good side … they won the Championship well … they started slow in the Premier League but they’re back in it now … I want to see if [Tyler Dibling] can do it on the main stage … see more from him … it’s a good opportunity to give him.”

Pre-match postbag: Evertonians Telling It As They See It edition. “Greetings from almost liberated California. The thrashing of a certain ‘orange’ gentleman has allowed me to have zero anxiety about today’s Everton tilt. I’m happy no matter what happens” – Mary Waltz

“I admire the optimism of Everton potentially going into fourth with a five-goal margin of victory today. I watch almost every single game and I struggled to recall the last time they scored five in the league; turns out it was the famous 5-1 win at Brighton in May 2023 that helped them stay up that season. At home, we have to go back to September 2020 when they beat West Brom 5-2 behind closed doors at Goodison. The last time in front of home fans? Their 6-3 win over Bournemouth in February 2017 when Romelu Lukaku scored four. Let’s just say Everton aren’t generally banging in goals for fun” – Matt Burtz

Coventry boss Frank Lampard - who having managed Everton 44 times, sits just 548 games behind the total David Moyes will be hitting tonight – speaks to Sky Sports. “I saw [the Hill Dickinson Stadium] in its early stages … it’s amazing to see the end product … what a stadium for a great football club … good to be here … but it’s more about the game … [Everton] are a strong team … [Coventry] are in a good moment … a good feeling [after the Sunderland win] … we have to show it consistently … reproduce good things … be on our game … [Jack Rudoni] believes in his talent … he’s got a lot of it … he’s said ‘give me the ball and I’ll show you what I can do at this level’ … hopefully that rubs off on other players.”

… and on that subject, kind of, here’s Andrew Beasley. He crunches the data, and explains why a Coventry win tonight would be a huge deal for Frank Lampard and his Sky Blues.

To the excited chatter of playgrounds up and down the country members of a certain jaded generation, this fixture is a re-run of the 1987 General Motors FA Charity Shield. Coventry, who had won the FA Cup just nine weeks previously, took 35,000 fans to Wembley, a record for the season curtain-raiser, while Everton supporters, making their eighth appearance at the grand old pile in four years, were comparatively thin on the ground. But the latter were the ones who got to celebrate, Wayne Clarke scoring the only goal just before the break, while Kevin Ratcliffe popped Cov’s new £750,000 record signing David Speedie in his pocket. All the post-match talk was of Everton retaining their First Division title: they ended the season in fourth; City, hoping to build on their breakthrough cup win, finished tenth. Both clubs were slightly disappointed with those returns back then; they’d deal on them for this season, right here, right now.

There’s no Jack Grealish in the Everton squad, by the way. But then did anyone really expect that?

Coventry City are in If It Ain’t Broke mode. They’re unchanged following last weekend’s 3-1 home win over Sunderland. Bobby Thomas is getting back up to speed after a calf issue but is not risked.

Everton are coming off the back of two victories over Newcastle United. They can’t play them every week, but they can near as dammit name the same starting XI, which is what’s happened in the wake of Monday night’s 1-0 win on Tyneside: Tyler Dibling comes in for Jake O’Brien, who drops to the bench.