Everton finally managed to secure their first Premier League victory of the season, beating Crystal Palace 2-1 at Goodison Park.
Despite going 1-0 down after just ten minutes, the Toffees were able to pull it back, with Dwight McNeil scoring a second-half brace to win them the game, securing three points.
This win takes Sean Dyche’s side to 15th in the Premier League, having lost four games, drawn one and won one in their opening six.
This could see Dyche’s job safe – for now – after last weeks of speculation that he could be sacked after his poor start to the campaign.
Dyche’s torrid start to the season
This was Everton’s first win of the season in the Premier League, with their only other point coming in a 1-1 draw against Leicester.
One of their most disappointing performances came against Bournemouth, where the Toffees were leading 2-0 in the 86th minute before three late goals (87th, 92nd, and 96th) saw the Merseysiders lose yet again.
Everton hold the least amount of possession in the league, with 36.9% on average, and also have the worst pass accuracy, with 76.3% on average, but they aren’t defending well either.
Most sides that concede this amount of possession rely on their defensive structure to keep them in games, looking to hit teams on the break to get a result.
The Toffees have conceded 15 goals in six matches, the second worst in the division, only better than the 16 conceded by Wolves.
However, Everton may have just been handed their lifeline, with Jarrad Branthwaite‘s return, which could play a huge part in saving Dyche’s job.
Branthwaite the saviour
On his return to action, Branthwaite scored an 8/10 match rating from the Liverpool Echo, making five clearances, three interceptions, two tackles and completing 100% of his dribble attempts throughout the clash.
The 22-year-old defender was one of Everton’s standout players last season, attracting interest from clubs such as Manchester United this summer.
The English defender also won 100% of his ground duels (4/4), and 50% of his aerial duels (3/6) during the game, playing a big part in Everton only conceding one goal, and managing their first victory of the campaign.
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Branthwaite vs Tarkowski & Keane (23/24) |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Stats (per 90 mins) |
Branthwaite |
Tarkowski |
Keane |
|
Passes Attempted |
40.0 |
40.8 |
45.1 |
|
Pass Completion % |
79.8% |
77.1% |
77.4% |
|
Progressive Passes |
2.14 |
3.42 |
2.86 |
|
Tackles |
1.91 |
1.61 |
1.43 |
|
Blocks |
1.47 |
2.16 |
1.02 |
|
Interceptions |
1.34 |
1.48 |
1.59 |
|
Aerials Won |
2.72 |
3.68 |
3.27 |
|
Stats taken from FBref |
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Comparing Branthwaite with the two Everton central defenders that started this season, James Tarkowski, and Michael Keane, you can see the 22-year-old offers the highest pass completion – a stat Everton are struggling with this season – and tackles made, a particularly important one for defenders.
The return of the young centre-back to the side will help improve them in important metrics, whilst also adding a 6 foot 5 frame to the backline, who can also recover at speed.
This is a rare profile, having a player with such physical attributes, who is also tidy on the ball, and his timely return could be exactly what is needed for Dyche to save his job.
