Stoke City's troubling recent form persisted in suitably miserable conditions at the Britannia Stadium, as free-scoring Everton ran riot in a 3-0 Premier League victory.
In howling wind and pouring rain, the Potters conceded three goals for the third successive outing in all competitions and rarely threatened their visitors on an outing to forget.
Stoke included record signing Gianelli Imbula in their starting XI, but fell behind to Romelu Lukaku's early penalty and conceded twice more – to Seamus Coleman and Aaron Lennon – before half-time.
Everton, meanwhile, bounced to a third victory in a row in league and cup, and made amends for the 4-3 defeat to their opponents in the corresponding fixture at Goodison Park back in December.
The two teams exchanged possession with alarming regularity in the moments after the goal until, in the 28th minute, Coleman popped up to put the away side further in front, glancing Cleverley's left-wing delivery into the far corner for his first goal in 11 months.
Stoke tried to find a quick reply but Mame Biram Diouf nodded off target from Ibrahim Afellay's cross, before Imbula sent a wild shot high and wide, and Mark Hughes' men imploded three minutes before the break.
Phillip Wollscheid's woeful pass only succeeded in playing in Lennon, who cantered into the Stoke box and slotted calmly beyond Butland.
Stoke came out after the interval with renewed determination but, as they pushed forward in search of a way back into the contest, Everton were able to expose their hosts on the counter.
Glen Johnson saw a swerving, 20-yard drive pushed away by Joel Robles in the Everton goal on a rare Stoke attack, but Butland had to brilliantly save Arouna Kone's effort soon after from and, from the resultant corner, Funes Mori wasted a free header.
The England keeper's heroics were wholly in vain, however, as Everton leapfrogged their opponents and into the top half.
