Everton Secure 2-0 FA Cup Win Over Peterborough After Dyche's Departure

Everton secured a 2-0 FA Cup win over Peterborough just hours after sacking manager Sean Dyche, with goals from Beto and Iliman Ndiaye.

Everton secured a much-needed 2-0 victory over third-tier Peterborough in the FA Cup third round on Thursday, just hours after parting ways with manager Sean Dyche. The win provided some respite for the struggling Premier League club, which has been battling to avoid relegation.

Dyche's departure was announced less than four hours before kickoff, with the club's new owners, the Friedkin Group, reportedly in talks with former Everton boss David Moyes about a potential return to Goodison Park. Moyes, who managed Everton from 2002 to 2013, is the bookmakers' favourite to take over the reins and save the club from relegation.

Moyes has been out of work since leaving West Ham at the end of last season. His potential return to Everton comes at a critical juncture, with the team having won just one of its past 11 games. The sole victory during this period came against lowly Wolves in December, highlighting the team's struggles.

The sudden nature of Dyche's departure was evident in the matchday programme for the Peterborough game, which still featured his column. Earlier on Thursday, Dyche visited the Everton training ground to bid farewell to the players and staff, marking the end of his tenure at the club.

Following Sean Dyche's departure, former Everton defender Leighton Baines, now the club's under-18s coach, and captain Seamus Coleman took temporary charge of the team for the FA Cup tie against Peterborough. Interestingly, they opted to stick with the starting lineup that Dyche had selected before his dismissal.

Peterborough came close to taking a surprise lead in the first half, with Cian Hayes' low drive being cleared off the line by Jarrad Branthwaite. This near-miss proved to be a crucial moment, as Everton eventually broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute through Beto.

Beto's goal lifted the spirits of Everton's fans, who had been subdued until that point. The goal came after Harrison Armstrong's pass found Beto inside the area, and he skillfully rounded Peterborough keeper Nicholas Bilokapic before slotting into the empty net.

However, Everton's victory was marred by an injury to on-loan Chelsea striker Armando Broja. He required oxygen before being stretchered off with his right ankle heavily strapped, dealing a blow to the team's attacking options.

There was a fascinating subplot to the match, as Everton defender Ashley Young came off the bench in the closing minutes, while his teenage son Tyler, who plays for Peterborough, remained an unused substitute. Despite this family connection, Everton secured the win thanks to a late penalty.

In stoppage time, Jadel Katongo fouled Jarrad Branthwaite, and Iliman Ndiaye converted the resulting penalty to seal Everton's 2-0 victory. This winning start to life without Dyche provided some much-needed positivity for the club.

FA Cup Upsets and Victories

Fulham secured a convincing 4-1 win over second-tier Watford at Craven Cottage, demonstrating their Premier League prowess. The match began with Rodrigo Muniz scoring an instinctive strike from Adama Traore's cross in the 26th minute, giving Fulham the lead. However, Watford's Rocco Vata equalized with a superb 25-yard blast just seven minutes later.

Fulham regained their advantage in the 49th minute through Raul Jimenez's penalty, awarded for Ryan Porteous's foul on Traore. The victory was effectively sealed when Joachim Andersen scored a volley in the 65th minute. Timothy Castagne added a fourth goal for Fulham with a header in the final five minutes, capping off a dominant performance.

In another FA Cup matchup, Cardiff pulled off a surprise 1-0 win at Bramall Lane against promotion-chasing Sheffield United. Despite being 20 places below Sheffield United in the Championship and having lost to them 2-0 in December, Cardiff's Cian Ashford scored the decisive goal in the 19th minute, sending the Bluebirds into the last 32.