t’s a common held view that Cresswell is a key asset when it comes to set pieces but yesterday was his first time scoring from a direct free kick since a 2-0 win over Manchester United in September 2019. That was also swung into the top right corner to leave the opposition goalkeeper with no chance and it was amusing to hear Moyes poke some fun at the wait afterwards before underlining the left back’s importance to the team while recognising how he has struggled to regain top form since injuring his back in November.
David Moyes said: “He played much better before his back injury. He was in top form up until mid-November when that happened and there are signs he is getting a little back to it. It’s taken a little while. We were trying to work out how many free kicks he has taken before he scored one. I guessed 625. We don’t know exactly. He’s provided great assists from corners and wide free kicks but I don’t remember him scoring many from a direct free kick. Everton have a top goalkeeper so to get it over the wall and in was really good.”