The Wait Goes On
David Moyes ended one personal hoodoo a few weeks ago, via ten-man Everton’s valiant 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, and also secured a first ever league win for the club at the Vitality
Stadium against AFC Bournemouth eight days later. Thus, it was with renewed optimism that the team travelled south, in a bid to register a first win at Stamford Bridge since 1994. Chelsea were one of the Premier League’s dominant sides in the near two decades they were owned by Roman Abramovich, were a pretty solid outfit during most of the ten years prior, and have been spending like drunken sailors since they were acquired by their new owners, so the tale of Everton’s lengthy failure at the Bridge is understandable, but nevertheless woeful.
However, the Blues arrived off a run of four wins in five, whereas the hosts had not tasted victory in their last four outings, across all competitions, so the prospects of success were higher than has often been the case. The visitors started off reasonably well, but the first sign that the game may not go in the intended direction was Everton’s best player in recent outings – Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – exiting the pitch after just a quarter of an hour with a hamstring injury. Although the next chance in the match would fall to Iliman Ndiaye, Chelsea soon took the lead, Cole Palmer waltzing through a static Toffees defence to beat Jordan Pickford.
The Blues took some time to get back in the match, and could have fallen further behind, so it was ironic that, as they’d begun to play more effectively, they conceded again, once more confounded by quality movement and inciseful passing. The Merseysiders did rally in the last 20 minutes of the game with Ndiaye striking the woodwork, but in the end the hosts took a comfortable win.
What does this tell us about Everton? In truth, not a lot, other than right now the team is capable of offering decent opposition to stronger sides, but is unlikely to actually beat them, — and in particular, on the road. It also demonstrated that the team is light in solid depth (or any depth, in some positions), and is highly reliant on the consistent quality of several key performers.
AFCON Exodus
Speaking of which, Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye – the latter just returned from a three-match suspension for his farcical red card incident at Old Trafford a few weeks ago – jetted off to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, which commences on December 21st, with the final scheduled for January 18th. Seeing as the two will be representing Senegal, one of the pre-competition favourites, it’s probable that Everton will be deprived of their services for as many as six league matches — in addition to the FA Cup game against Sunderland at Hill Dickinson Stadium on January 10th. Whilst Gueye has been a stalwart performer since his return to the club, and is still an important cog, it’s Ndiaye’s absence which will hurt the most.
There was never any doubt that Gana would be reinstated into the starting eleven against Chelsea, but it’s worth assessing whether the veteran midfielder is beginning to decline, and whether his place as a guaranteed starter should be under threat once he returns to the club, after international duty. The 36-year-old’s defensive numbers are down from recent seasons, though this may partially be explained from a change in Everton’s playing style, as well as the absence of Jarrad Branthwaite’s pace, which necessitates the back four sitting deeper, leaving the midfield with more space to cover. Gueye’s strength has always been in actively breaking up attacks, rather than in positioning, and tracking runners — which we saw with Malo Gusto’s goal last weekend.
Whereas – in theory at least – Moyes can cope without Gueye, the loss of Ndiaye creates a bigger problem. Last season’s top league goalscorer has been moved to the right this term in order to accommodate Jack Grealish, but the maverick talent has adapted well, remaining Everton’s most dangerous player. Seconds after switching to the left, after the withdrawal of Jack in the 86th, Ndiaye cut inside and struck the woodwork, offering a glimpse of what he could do when in his best position. I’d still like to see the on-loan Manchester City star tried in the centre and Ndiaye on the left, with the two swapping positions freely during a game, but if this is something Moyes would contemplate, it’ll have to wait until after AFCON.
Terrible Timing
The sight of Dewsbury-Hall going to the turf with an obvious hamstring issue was enough to ruin the day of any Blues fan. The former Leicester and Chelsea man has arguably been the standout player this season, hitting brilliant form over the previous five matches, and even emerging with credit via a wonder goal in what was otherwise a dreadful collective effort in defeat against Newcastle United. With Ndiaye and Gueye away for the next month or so, the 27-year-old would have been expected to carry much of the responsibility for Everton’s play in central areas, but that plan will now need amending. Worse, if the midfielder’s injury is significant, then, along with the two Senegal internationals, the Toffees face being without three players who’ve combined for ten of the team’s 17 league goals, for an extended period.
Dewsbury-Hall’s fitness record is exemplary, as the player’s only having sustained two minor injuries as a senior for a combined 28 days, so it’s bad luck all around. The workload has been shared between relatively few members of the squad, however, with the Chelsea game being KDH’s ninth start over a 56-day spell. He’d completed all but 14 minutes from his 14 league outings this term, and had mentioned some hamstring tightness prior to the match. Likewise, Grealish, who left the Chelsea match late on as a precautionary measure after feeling discomfort in his hamstring, has played all but 15 league minutes after making his debut from the bench in the season opener, against Leeds United.
Are the Toffees paying the price for running key players into the ground, and not relieving them in the latter stages of games? Also, how prepared are those who will replace them? Only ten players have over 1,000 league minutes under their belts this season, with Beto and Thierno Barry splitting duties up front. Behind this first eleven-and-a-half is Carlos Alcaraz, with 521 minutes (four starts) and Tim Iroegbunam, with 493 (six starts). The remaining four who are currently part of the squad, with game time in the league (Dwight McNeil, Merlin Röhl, Tyler Dibling and Seamus Coleman) combine for 292; Nathan Patterson and Adam Aznou have yet to see any action in the Premier League.
Who Will Face the Gunners?
Moyes’ team options for Arsenal, in Saturday’s late kickoff, are pretty bleak in all honesty. Dewsbury-Hall’s absence and Grealish’s fitness have been confirmed, but otherwise it is not at all clear where Everton’s attacking threat will come from. Iroegbunam and James Garner are the only two available midfielders, although Röhl appears close to a return, going off Friday’s press conference.
So the defence will be as expected, with Jake O’Brien again filling in at right back. Barry will retain his place, but it’s the three behind the striker where there will be guesswork as to who lines up against the Gunners. Assuming Grealish is fit to start, the question is who replaces Ndiaye on the opposite flank?
The squad’s only natural right winger, Dibling, has almost no game time so far, and appears not to have yet convinced Moyes as to his readiness to contribute meaningfully, but there are only two other options for the position: Alcaraz and McNeil. The Argentine was fielded on the right in the season opener against Leeds (none too successfully) and for part of the next game, but his last seven appearances have been central. McNeil has been used across the attacking areas, but has played from the bench as an advanced midfielder in his last two outings. His last appearance on the right was against Sunderland, whereas Dibling’s limited minutes have all been there, so it appears Moyes may actually see the youngster as the better fit.
Regardless, heading into what is possibly the club’s toughest game of the campaign so far against the league leaders, the Blues go in with a hugely understrength side. Moyes has little to turn to from the bench, which is likely to feature multiple goalkeepers and under-21 players who are there to make up the numbers to be used only in dire emergencies. The genuine options will likely be Beto, McNeil and Röhl — along with Patterson and Aznou, in a pinch. Even though Arsenal had to rely on good fortune to get the win over a dire Wolves last time out, courtesy of a couple of own goals, they are still talented, powerful opposition, and the Toffees manager will need to devise the perfect gameplan in order to avoid defeat.
Statistics courtesy of fbref.com
