• “The minute we rest is our downfall — it’s important we realise there is a long way for us to go,” Lampard told BBC Match of the Day.
• The Toffees had scored just five goals in their opening seven games, but turned the match around with two strikes in three minutes to extend their unbeaten run to six games.
Image: FILE
Everton manager Frank Lampard insisted his side cannot rest on their laurels after recording back-to-back victories by coming from behind to beat Southampton.
The Toffees scored twice in a game for the first time this season to rack up successive wins for only the second time since Lampard took charge in January.
Summer signings Conor Coady and Dwight McNeil engineered a quickfire turnaround at St Mary’s as Everton, who only clinched survival in the penultimate game of last season, climbed to 11th in the Premier League.
“The minute we rest is our downfall — it’s important we realise there is a long way for us to go,” Lampard told BBC Match of the Day. “There are glimpses — there were big glimpses against West Ham in our last game — but we haven’t had lots of time to work with the team.
“To work with the players that are in the team who weren’t here last year, on the way we want to play, those relationships throughout the pitch.
“There’s a nice competitive feel to the squad but we can get a lot better and we’ve got hard games coming up so we need to stay on it.”
After a drab first 45 minutes, the match burst into life when Joe Aribo drilled Saints ahead with a fine left-footed finish early in the second half.
The Toffees had scored just five goals in their opening seven games, but turned the match around with two strikes in three minutes to extend their unbeaten run to six games.
Coady swept the visitors level from Amadou Onana’s excellent knockdown before McNeil flashed them ahead with a fierce shot that beat Gavin Bazunu at his near post.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, on his return from a thigh injury, made a fine save to deny Adam Armstrong, while Saints debutant Duje Caleta-Car volleyed over a great late chance as the hosts slipped to a fourth defeat in five.
This was only Everton’s second win in their past 21 away games, but Lampard soaked up the travelling support’s applause at the end in the knowledge their form on the road is showing signs of improving. They had to withstand late Southampton pressure to add this win to hard-earned draws at Leeds and Brentford, but they were good value for their victory.
Demarai Gray was their standout first-half performer, flashing a 25-yard free-kick just over, sending in a cross that Coady just failed to stab home and then firing straight at Bazunu after a classy run.
It needed Aribo’s opener to light the fire under them, with two of Lampard’s marquee summer signings - on-loan Wolves and England defender Coady and £20m winger McNeil - opening their Toffees accounts.
Both goals owed to fine deliveries, Coady pouncing after Onana nodded down Gray’s free-kick and McNeil bringing down Alex Iwobi’s cross to crash past Bazunu.
But the defensive solidity Lampard has installed - only Manchester City have conceded fewer goals this season - was also on show through a string of vital blocks and tackles, with Pickford on hand when needed.
“It is certainly not the end of the story and we need a lot more progression to get to where we need to get to, but it is a positive that we have a stronger spine about us now,” Lampard added.