It's not often that I laud the effects of liberal capitalism on football, but today provided an exception. Market forces, striving as they do for the optimal allocation of labour and capital, led Everton and Spurs to swap an overpaid and ineffectual Louis Saha for a tragically wasted Steven Pienaar, and between them the two got three goals today- so everyone's a winner.

I would like to make it clear that Saha's fine performance for Tottenham this afternoon doesn't prove me wrong in slating him in the past. No one ever doubted the man's ability to score a goal. What was clear, however, was that leading the line on his own was a role he had neither the energy nor the will to perform. That plus the fact he only played well when he felt like doing so- and he didn't always feel like it. Spurs fans can come back to me at the end of his 18-month contract and tell me if the deal worked out well.

Back to Pienaar, who was absolutely fantastic today. He skinned plenty of Chelsea midfielders coming inside from left-midfield, and his early goal was fair reward for clever movement and simply wanting it more than any Chelsea defender did. The effect that he has had on the rest of the team is there for all to see, and  Everton fans will be delighted to see him playing as well as ever for the club, especially given the rapidly-approaching departure of Landon Donovan. Donovan showed again what the Blues will miss without him. Fans can only hope that the papers to confirm another loan trip to Merseyside next winter are in the post to LA.

It was Donovan's smart run and pass which set up Denis Stracqualursi to make it two, with a finish which in truth really ought to have been saved by Petr Cech. Stracqualursi played like a man who knew his position was under threat, showing some real quality and commitment, forcing errors and fouls from Chelsea's defence, as well as bringing other players into the game. He was given a reprieve this week, through injuries to Victor Anichebe and Nikica Jelavic. Those two might struggle to get a start in the next few weeks if he keeps playing like he is.

The well-publicised fact that Chelsea were very poor today shouldn't take away from the fact that this was a great Everton performance, restoring the faith after the bumpy comedown which the Wigan draw provided to the City win. The BBC commentator who so patronisingly put the second goal down to the team's "sheer determination" was clearly over-looking the top-class Phil Neville tackle, Donovan's aforementioned smart pass and Stracqualursi's (I'm getting so sick of typing his name) positive run. And the wins against City and Chelsea came without both Phil Jagielka and the now-even-more-injured Jack Rodwell (as well as Seamus Coleman and Leon Osman who, despite not being certain starters, offer options in attack).

Two upcoming winnables against Blackpool in the FA Cup and QPR in the league can hopefully see Everton enter the final phase of the season in contention for both the cup and another respectable league finish. 

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