There was something incredibly poetic about our hammering of Chelsea.
At the end of a week in which the aforementioned club received what was arguably an arm round the shoulder from the Premier League, it fell to us to hand them an on-field sanction and it felt incredibly satisfying.
All the talk pre-match seemed to go back to how harshly we felt we were treated in 2023-24, when we got a heavy points deduction for our minimal and explainable financial misdemeanour.
We felt ignored. We felt scapegoated. We felt hung out to dry in a battle of football and independent regulation.
Chelsea's sanction simply opened up old wounds.
Saturday felt like a chance to show how we have recovered, how we simply refused to lie down and accept what was a daunting fate.
Our new home has so often felt like a leveller for away sides. Saturday was when that feeling was put to bed.
Hill Dickinson Stadium was boisterous, electric, vicious and blue. A cauldron of noise, from Z Cars to the walk back up Regent Road long after the full-time whistle.
It was the night that Everton Football Club truly came home.
Everton were simply sensational. The desire, commitment, cohesiveness and bottle on show epitomised what it means to play for our club.
Money may buy you individual brilliance but it does not automatically create a team.
The international break has come at the wrong time for us. However, it is a great opportunity to rest and get ready for the seven remaining cup finals of the season.
European football is there for the taking. I never thought I would be saying that this season.
Find more from Mike Richards at Unholy Trinity
