The Everton players had a wake-up call on Saturday.
It arose courtesy of a wandering alarm at 1 a.m. at the Dockland Hotel, where they spent Friday night, breaking sleep before a big game.
Some members of the squad believe the alarm was no coincidence, suspecting a deliberate intention to unsettle them by a malevolent Liverpool fan. But in the end, Carlo Ancelotti and his players went back to bed, woke up and made sure it was their rivals who spent a sleepless night 24 hours later.
At 7.30pm, Everton celebrated a historic Merseyside derby victory at Anfield, the first in the entire park since 1999.
Athletic can reveal the inside story of an ongoing 22-year triumph; how it arose and how those responsible celebrated what in Goodison is widely regarded as an important psychological milestone.
Ancelotti allowed himself a wide smile after the final whistle. He hugged the back room staff. But he didn’t wear much …