Everton had been showing signs of promise that they could break away from the relegation pack in the Premier League and mount a surge up the table – recent wins against AFC Bournemouth and Brentford showcasing an unusual potency within the Toffees ranks, the matches swinging in Everton's favour 3-0 and 3-1 respectively.
However, the usual nemesis of Merseyside rivals and neighbours Liverpool saw the Blues lose 2-0 at Anfield last time out.
A double booking for Ashley Young did mean Sean Dyche's Toffees had to play the match with ten men from the 37-minute mark onwards, the experienced figure of Young overwhelmed by the occasion even at the age of 38.
Young's sending off on Saturday now means the Merseyside Derby has 23 red cards in its history, making it the Premier League fixture with the most red cards ever. Liverpool would capitalise on this man deficit and comfortably win 2-0, Mo Salah converting a penalty and an injury-time strike to ensure Jurgen Klopp's men had overall bragging rights.
Yet, even though Young was red carded and given his marching orders from right-back in this one, there's a far more unpopular defender at this moment in time within the Everton fanbase.
Earning £80k per week according to Capology, Michael Keane's time in a Blues strip looks like it could be coming to an end very soon if his last few displays are anything to go by…
How has Michael Keane been playing this season?
Keane has featured six times so far for Everton this campaign, four of those coming in the top flight.
Oddly enough, Everton haven't won a game Keane has played in this season so far in the Premier League – failing as a collective to even score in these four contests, Keane not covering himself in glory with his displays alongside his team's overall performance.
The ex-Burnley centre-back won't look back on Everton's away trip to Aston Villa fondly, the Blues thumped by Unai Emery's far superior outfit 4-0 at Villa Park.
As per Sofascore, the 30-year-old defender lost possession a grand total of 11 times during this contest back in August. His calamitous display from the back helped Villa along the way to a comprehensive home victory, Villa's opener saw Everton's number five leave McGinn unmarked to slot home from a Leon Bailey pass into the box.
One individual error from Keane himself helped Villa score their third of the afternoon, a throw into the box from Lucas Digne haplessly cleared away by the centre-back straight into the path of Bailey who hammered home.
It's led to Keane having to make do with a spot on the substitutes bench, even with Dyche at the helm who developed Keane as a young defender whilst managing Burnley.
Everton's number five was substituted on against Liverpool last time out, but he couldn't help the Toffees effectively shut out the likes of Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez – his 45 minutes on the Anfield turf largely ineffective, leading to a poor 6.3 match rating via Sofascore. A controversial penalty may not have helped him, but it wasn't the first time he's let his teammates down in such a scenario. Indeed, he has been guilty of some "amateurish defending" – as dubbed by the Liverpool Echo's Tony Scott – all too often.
Dyche has started looking to youth to complement the experienced James Tarkowski at the heart of defence, Jarrad Branthwaite impressive in Everton blue this campaign when called upon.
The 21-year-old performed well in that encouraging AFC Bournemouth win, blocking two shots and completing 81% of his passes in that encounter – the youngster composed on the ball yet hard in the tackle when necessary.
This could signal the end for Keane with the Blues therefore, his excessive £80k p/w wage not justified whatsoever at this moment in time.