Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the quickest goal in the Premier League this season to set up Everton’s third consecutive win under manager David Moyes.
Doucoure fired home after only 10 seconds and Everton wrapped the points before half-time with a double from Beto who was deputising for the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Iliman Ndiaye added a fourth in injury-time.
Hopeless Leicester relied on Ipswich losing at home to Southampton to avoid dropping into the bottom three and their fans chanted ‘sack the board’ and sang the names of former managers Nigel Pearson and Claudio Ranieri as their team fell apart.
Moyes responded to the absences of Orel Mangala and Calvert-Lewin by drafting in James Garner, his first start for four months because of a back problem, and Beto.
For Leicester, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen returned after six weeks out with a groin problem.
Foxes manager Ruud van Nistelrooy – who scored five times at Goodison as a Manchester United -had barely reached his technical area for kick off when Everton went ahead.
Abdoulaye Doucoure opened the scoring after just ten seconds as Everton beat Leicester 4-0
Beto managed to find the net twice for Everton, who secured their third victory in succession
Beto celebrates with Jesper Lindstrom after making it 2-0 to Everton at home to Leicester
The ball was played back to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and his raking pass, or long punt depending on your point of view, reached Abdoulaye Doucoure motoring towards the Leicester box.
The midfielder took one touch on his chest to control and a second to belt a low finish past Hermansen for his first league goal of he campaign.
As the fans chanted Moyes’ name, Everton doubled their lead after six minutes.
Again, it was too simple from a Leicester point of view. James Tarkowski played an angled ball from inside his own half and Beto was able to run goalside of Wout Faes and have time to measure a finish low across Hermansen.
It was a confident finish from the 27-year-old considering he hadn’t scored in the league since October.
The dejected look on the visitor’s faces said it all while van Nistelrooy stood arms folded.
In the away end, fed-up Leicester fans went through a range of protest songs including the one that urges director of football Jon Rudkin to ‘get out of our club’.
From the posh seats, chairman ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha didn’t look impressed by what he was watching, or hearing.
Beto netted his second goal of the game just before half time during an impressive win
Iliman Ndiaye rounded off Everton’s victory as he scored in the closing stages of the game
David Moyes celebrates, with Everton continuing their recent revival under his guidance
There was frustration for Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy as his team were beaten
Poor Leicester were spared the indignation of conceding a third goal inside the first 20 minutes when Jake O’Brien was ruled offside when he prodded over the line after Jarrad Branthwaite had won the first header at a corner.
Leicester’s first serious foray at the other end saw James Justin’s shot blocked with Victor Kristiansen driving the rebound just over.
The space Everton were given in midfield was unusual at Premier League level and alarming to Foxes fans.
A giveaway by Hermansen allowed Beto into the box. When he fell in a heap following Jannik Vestergaard’s challenge there were loud appeals for a penalty but nothing given by referee Darren Bond.
Hermansen tipped Garner’s shot around the post shortly before half-time but was helpless to stop Beto from adding another just before the interval.
Garner split the Leicester defence allowing Beto to run on and finish. It was notable the blue shirts raced to the assist-maker for the celebrations – Everton have missed his creativity during his four months out with a back injury.
Previous boss Sean Dyche hadn’t won three-in-a-row since last April but Moyes has had a spectacular new manager bounce and the 3-0 half-time lead was the same as in their previous home game, against Spurs.
Van Nistelrooy refused the temptation to make changes at the interval as he sought to avoid an eighth defeat in nine matches.
Everton still looked the more dangerous team however and Faes got an important interception to stop Beto setting up a fourth goal on a plate for Iliman Ndiaye.
Leicester finally made changes after an hour with Jamie Vardy’s departure greeted with glee by Evertonians as the veteran striker made way for Patson Daka. The home fans delighted in chanting ‘going down’ towards their Leicester counterparts.
When Daka produced the visitor’s first shot on target after 73 minutes straight into the arms of Pickford, there were ironic cheers from his side’s supporters.
Jesper Lindstrom drove against the legs of Hermansen in his last action before being replaced by Ashley Young. Beto got a huge ovation when he was replaced with a couple of minutes left but there was still time for Everton to add a fourth with Iliman Ndiaye showing composure in the box to finish from six yards after winning the ball off Leicester’s defence.
