Everton’s players had a rude awakening on Saturday.
It comes courtesy of a stray 1am alarm at the dockland hotel where they spent Friday night and shattered their sleep before a big game.
Some members of the group believe the alarm was not accidental, suspecting they were deliberately trying to upset a mischievous Liverpool fan. In the end, Carlo Ancelotti and his players went back to bed, woke up and saw that their rivals had a sleepless night 24 hours later.
At 19:30, Everton celebrated a historic victory in Merseyside derby at Anfield, the first time in the park since 1999.
The Athletic can reveal the inner story of a triumph that is 22 years in the making; how it came into being and how the responsible people celebrate what is widely regarded in Goodison as an important psychological beacon.
Ancelotti allowed himself a wide grin after the final whistle. He hugged his back room staff. But he does not get too carried away …