Having missed the Charity Shield curtain raiser against Blackburn due to the delay of the transfer, he made his debut in the match against Southampton, with Everton winning 2–0, their first win of the season. During his first game against Manchester United, since he joined Everton, in early September, Kanchelskis suffered a shoulder injury early into the game following a late tackle by Sharpe, and was substituted off after 14 minutes in an eventual 3–2 defeat. He returned to action against Bolton Wanderers a month later, missing two chances to score in a 1–1 draw. He rapidly gained cult status with Everton supporters especially after his two goals against Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Anfield, his first for the club, ensured a 2–1 win, Everton's first triumph at the stadium since 1986. A week later, he put in a Man of the Match performance in a 2–2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday, scoring Everton's first three minutes into injury time in the first half, before assisting the equaliser for Daniel Amokachi.
