Stoke City leapfrogged Everton in the Premier League table with a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park this afternoon.

Bojan made the difference with a calmly-taken penalty in the first half as the Potters took full advantage of a below-par display from the hosts.

Below, Sports Mole takes a look at the game's key talking points.

Match statistics

EVERTON
Shots: 16
On target: 5
Possession: 62%
Corners: 9
Fouls: 9

STOKE
Shots: 12
On target: 2
Possession: 38%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 15

Was the result fair?

On another day Everton may have found the slice of luck required to claim a draw, but it's very difficult to argue that Stoke didn't deserve their win after taking the lead. After a slow start from both sides, Stoke started to look more dangerous thanks to the threat of Bojan and Marko Arnautovic. When the visitors did break the deadlock, they looked very comfortable defending their advantage. Everton dominated possession for long spells, but they were unable to put enough pressure on the Potters to find a way back into the game.

Everton's performance

In recent weeks Everton fans have been quick to voice their frustration when their side have not shown enough ambition on the ball, but this was a new low for Roberto Martinez's side. Even when they were running out of time to find an equaliser, the hosts were still settling for just keeping the ball in midfield. When put under pressure Everton just didn't seem to have a Plan B, and Stoke's defence dominated as a result.

If Everton are going to get back to their best form, Martinez may have to make some changes to his approach. On another afternoon when the pressure was on, the Toffees failed to rise to the challenge.

Stoke's performance

Mark Hughes will be a delighted man on the bus home tonight. After struggling to keep clean sheets recently, Stoke produced one of the best defensive performances you will see this season. Ryan Shawcross led by example in the centre of defence, but every player made a contribution to keep Everton's creative players quiet. In attack, the visitors troubled Everton with their fast breaks. Bojan displayed that extra piece of quality Stoke have lacked in recent seasons, while Arnautovic and Jonathan Walters never stopped on the wings.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Steven N'Zonzi: Any of Stoke's players could have picked up this honour today, but N'Zonzi stood out in the centre of midfield. The Frenchman made a number of crucial interceptions when Everton were on top, and he played a key role in keeping the likes of Barkley and Mirallas quiet. When he did get the ball, he was always ready to launch Stoke attacks with clever passes. It was a top performance from the midfielder.

Biggest gaffe

Gareth Barry lost his marker in the box to meet a corner at the back post, but the midfielder somehow managed to miss the target from just a few yards out.

Referee performance

Lee Mason angered the home fans by only booking Walters when the Republic of Ireland international pulled down Leighton Baines, who was ahead of the last defender. However, with 35 yards between Baines and the goal, Mason will argue that it was not a clear goalscoring opportunity.

What next?

Everton: The Toffees will look to recover from successive defeats when they travel North to meet Newcastle United on Sunday.

Stoke: A confident Stoke side host West Bromwich Albion at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday.