Everton 7 Sunderland 1: Cahill puts Everton in seven heaven

Everton have found a way of playing that might not have been immediately popular with the purists among their supporters, but which works for them. It might never work better than it did against Sunderland, but better sides than Roy Keane's would have struggled to hold back the blue tide at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Since Tim Cahill returned from injury to play as the most advanced midfielder behind a lone striker, Everton have won six of seven games and Cahill has found the net five times.

"People say there can be lulls in his play, but that's what he does for us," said Everton's manager, David Moyes. "We've found a style of play that suits us, that makes us more attacking and gives us more options."

The Australian is undeniably the key man in the formation and the two goals he put past Sunderland were fine examples of his value to his side. The first was superbly set up by Mikel Arteta and Gary Neville, with Cahill finding room in the area to twist, turn and score. The second came from a long clearance from Joseph Yobo which was converted into a killer pass by Cahill's deft first touch. It was top-quality work from a player who could be crucial to the rest of Everton's season.

Under the new system, of course, much weight also falls on Ayegbeni Yakubu. He was another who thoroughly enjoyed himself and his two goals were reward for his constant movement and involvement.

There was much else to admire, in the skill and enterprise of Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman in midfield – Osman's final goal, making it Everton's biggest win for 11 years, was the pick of the seven – and the way that the full-backs, Neville and Nuno Valente, drove the visitors to distraction with their overlapping forays.

It was not quite a perfect performance. Arteta, inventive and brilliant in the first half, had an infuriatingly casual patch at the start of the second which coincided with Sunderland hinting at a threat to get back into the game. They had scored through Dwight Yorke to make it 3-1 on the stroke of half-time and the arrival of Ross Wallace perked them up after the interval.

"We were always hoping to get back in the game, even at 3-1 if we could have got another one," said Keane. "But they took full advantage of our short-comings."

Those shortcomings began in the back four, Paul McShane's miskick putting Yakubu in for his and his side's first goal after 12 minutes. The Irish defender got into more scrapes over the course of the afternoon than his namesake, Ian, in an episode of Lovejoy and this is not a game he will keep among his treasured souvenirs.

Keane, however, declined to pick out individuals. "You have to defend as a team," he said. The way his side were so vulnerable to the straightforward ball down the middle must be a huge concern.

"We knew we were going to have our ups and downs and I won't dress it up – this is a major setback," added the Sunderland manager, who said that he would have get busy during the January transfer window.

Whether he can bring in the sort of player who can reverse the current plunge into the bottom three is another question.

Goals: Yakubu (12) 1-0; Cahill (17) 2-0; Pienaar (43) 3-0; Yorke (45) 3-1; Cahill (62) 4-1; Yakubu (73) 5-1; Johnson (80) 6-1; Osman (85) 7-1.

Everton (4-4-1-1): Howard; Neville, Yobo (Jagielka, 80), Lescott, Valente; Arteta, Osman, Carsley, Pienaar; Cahill (Anichebe, 74); Yakubu (Johnson, 74). Substitutes not used: Wessels (gk), Gravesen.

Sunderland (4-4-2): Gordon; Whitehead, McShane, Higginbotham, Harte; Edwards, Leadbitter, Etuhu (Wallace, h-t), Yorke (Collins, h-t); Jones, Chopra (Cole, 64). Substitutes not used: Ward (gk), O'Donovan.

Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).

Booked: Sunderland McShane.

Man of the match: Cahill.

Attendance: 38,594.

Lion Cub?

Leon Osman (Everton)

A strong game from the Wigan-born midfielder, 26, was highlighted by a wonderful solo goal, his side's seventh. For Sunderland Grant Leadbitter, 21, was committed in an out-played midfield.