Abdoulaye Doucoure scored the fourth-fastest goal in Premier League history after just 10 seconds as Everton powered to a 4-0 victory over struggling Leicester and moved 10 points clear of danger.
Beto, the Toffees' only fit striker, then scored twice before the interval for the first time in his Goodison career to send a timely message he is ready to fill the void left by Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s lengthy absence.
It all amounted to more trouble for under-pressure Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, whose 17th-placed side have lost eight of their last nine league matches since he was appointed on December 1.
The hosts were unrecognisable from the goal-shy one which had laboured so much under Sean Dyche as they made it seven in successive home games.
Thanks to some benevolent Leicester defending, they scored two in the first six minutes for the first time in the top flight since March 1970.
Jordan Pickford’s regulation punt upfield from the kick-off should have been dealt with but Beto cleverly held off Boubakary Soumare to provide an avenue for Doucoure to run into, chest the ball down and fire across returning goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
After a recount the goal was timed at 10.18 seconds, the fastest in Everton’s history.
Just over five minutes later James Tarkowski’s ball into the same inside-right channel was steered inside the same far post for Beto’s first league goal since October 26.
But it was not just the sharpness which was better, Everton were playing more flowing football with Garner making a huge difference and the right-side combination of winger Jesper Lindstrom and defender Jake O’Brien, who tapped home from a corner but was offside, continuing their recent progress.
Everton’s inside-right channel was being mined for all it was worth, with Garner linking up with Beto, who was sent tumbling to the turf by Jannik Vestergaard’s challenge deemed perfectly legal.
Garner had a shot tipped onto a post and Doucoure steered over from 10 yards, before the former capped a triumphant return with a brilliant pass in between Leicester’s centre-backs which Beto confidently stroked past Hermansen.
All the visitors offered in the first half was Victor Kristiansen’s rising drive from a corner and their late arrival after the interval suggested either a dressing room dressing down or general lethargy.
It appeared it was the latter as the visitors barely offered a threat and the anonymous Jamie Vardy was withdrawn after an hour.
Lindstrom’s last act was to shoot straight at the goalkeeper, with Ndiaye curling a shot just wide before adding the fourth against hapless opponents, who face Manchester United and Arsenal next, as the visiting fans directed their anger at the board.
Substitute Rodrigo Muniz condemned Newcastle boss Eddie Howe to defeat in his 700th game as a manger as Fulham came from behind to edge a 2-1 Premier League win at St James' Park.
The Magpies went ahead when Jacob Murphy marked his 200th appearance for the club with his fourth goal of the season, but the lead was always precarious and Raul Jimenez’s 11th of the campaign set up Muniz to snatch victory, eight minutes from time.
Marco Silva’s side made life intensely difficult for the hosts throughout and Newcastle, who face Arsenal in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday, will need to be significantly better if they are to make their 2-0 lead in the tie count.
It was the Magpies who went ahead eight minutes before the break when Gordon spun away from Timothy Castagne and saw defender Calvin Bassey divert his cross into the path of Murphy, who slammed it past the keeper.
Leno denied Tino Livramento with a foot after the full-back had exchanged passes with Isak as he broke down the right, and a breathless first-half ended with Howe’s men ahead by the slimmest of margins.
Dubravka had to field an Emile Smith Rowe shot within seconds of the restart and then repeated the feat two minutes later after the midfielder had profited from Joelinton’s ill-judged pass to Tonali.
Dan Burn managed to deflect a Jimenez shot just wide with Dubravka at full stretch and Livramento blocked the Mexico international’s header with the Londoners pushing once again.
Fulham got their reward with 61 minutes gone when, after Tonali’s pass had been picked off, Antonee Robinson turned Traore’s pass into Jimenez’s path and he finished first time.
Substitute Joe Willock missed his kick from Isak’s cross as Newcastle set about the task of trying to restore their lead and the Sweden international curled a deft effort on to the crossbar with 15 minutes remaining.
But it was the visitors who claimed the points when Muniz toe-poked fellow substitute Andreas Pereira’s free-kick past Dubravka at his near post.
Southampton revived their faint survival hopes with only a second Premier League victory of the season thanks to Paul Onuachu's 87th-minute winner at Ipswich.
This bottom-of-the-table clash looked destined to finish all square after Ipswich hitman Liam Delap struck his ninth goal of the campaign after 31 minutes to cancel out Joe Aribo’s opener at Portman Road.
A point did little for either team’s survival prospects and as the seconds ticked away Kieran McKenna’s men looked more likely to claim a late winner, but they were stunned when Onuachu fired in after Arijanet Muric spilled Kamaldeen Sulemana’s low effort to secure Saints a precious 2-1 away win.
With plenty at stake chances were limited until Southampton broke the deadlock in the 21st minute.
Kyle Walker-Peters and Mateus Fernandes combined down the right before the latter’s cross deflected into the path of Aribo, who volleyed home for his third goal of the campaign from 12 yards.
Ipswich goalkeeper Muric did not cover himself in glory with a weak attempt at saving Aribo’s tame effort, but referee Michael Oliver was in the spotlight soon after.
Oliver, who was moved onto this fixture and off Arsenal versus Manchester City on Sunday after he received death threats over a red card given to the Gunners’ Myles Lewis-Skelly last weekend, faced more hostility after he first opted not to give Ipswich a free-kick in a dangerous position.
More boos followed when Oliver decided Walker-Peters’ handball inside the Saints penalty area had been from a natural position, but the home faithful had a goal to celebrate soon after.
Ipswich received a touch of fortune after Nathan Broadhead’s pass ricocheted off Aribo and into Delap, who burst past Jan Bednarek too easily and slotted under Aaron Ramsdale.
A point did little for either team’s survival hope and anxiety gripped Portman Road as the Ipswich faithful started to get agitated at a lack of urgency.
It sparked the hosts’ into life as Delap muscled his way past Bednarek but had a low shot blocked by Ramsdale before Leif Davis sent a free-kick into the wall.
Juric reacted with Sulemana sent on with 20 minutes left and the substitute helped Saints claim a first league win in four months when his low effort was spilled by Muric, which allowed Onuachu to smash home.
