The elements combined with Everton’s typically robust and direct approach to make it another stern test at Goodison Park, but unlike in many recent seasons we stood up to the challenge to leave with a hard-fought point.

‘I’m absolutely happy,’ Maresca stressed afterwards.

‘I just said to the players I’m more happy today than the Brentford game. The reason why is I was quite worried about this game. It’s a tricky game, a tricky stadium, a tricky team.

‘They are defensively top. They are one of the five best teams in Europe in terms of clean sheets. You struggle to create chances against them. It was not an easy game.

‘You have to deal with and learn to play different games: long balls, second balls, channels, set-pieces. Football is not only how good we play on the ball. It’s also how you defend and how you deal with that. I’m very proud today.’

Maresca acknowledged the first-half opportunities we had could have changed the course of the contest, which ended with Everton looking more threatening in the final third…

‘In general, you always struggle to create chances against them. We knew it would be a tough game in terms of clear chances. For sure we could have attacked better, but there was not space for Cole [Palmer]. In the last half-hour, we tried to move Enzo [Fernandez] into an attacking midfielder, with Malo [Gusto] next to Moi [Caicedo] to change something.

‘Overall in this type of game, knowing you are not going to create many chances, you have to be clinical. First half, Nico [Jackson] had a one-v-one with the keeper, hit the post, and we had another two or three chances inside the box.

‘If you are able to be clinical there and score, probably the game becomes different, but until that moment you’re going to struggle.’

Maresca reserved praise for our back five, with all contributing to keep Everton at bay…

‘Tosin was very good, Levi [Colwill] was very good. Rob [Sanchez] was there twice when we needed him. All the players defensively were very good. I’m happy for them. Clean sheet, we don’t concede.

‘The way we showed togetherness was brilliant. We arrive to Christmas second in the table with the best attack and one of the best defences, so we are happy.’