That’s one defeat in eight Premier League games for Everton now. Great stuff. Unfortunately, though, Sean Dyche‘s side played out their second successive 0-0, with Brentford standing firm despite being reduced to ten before half-time.
Everton have only won two matches in that timeframe too, which is pretty concerning given that the ostensibly toughest part of the season so far lies ahead.
The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland summed it up neatly, saying upon the final whistle: “Big missed opportunity and never really looked like winning it.”
It’s not the end of the world; Everton are currently four points clear of the drop zone. Even so, much work to do. Iliman Ndiaye was great though – he’s taking talismanic shape for the Merseysiders.
Iliman Ndiaye is the shining light once again
Everton signed Ndiaye from Marseille this summer for a £15m fee, and he’s been brilliant in blue. Three goals to his name so far, the winger brings the kind of electric skillset that sends frissons of excitement rippling across the stadium.
He was Goodison Park’s most destructive force on Saturday, proving to be an unrelenting carrier of the ball while also getting stuck in and looking to win back possession and disrupt Brentford’s flow.
As you will see from the table below, Ndiaye was in the thick of the action with 58 touches, while also excelling with his dribbling (completing all four attempts) and winning six of his seven contested ground duels, which gives rise to the solidity that Dyche demands from every ara of the pitch.
Iliman Ndiaye – Stats vs Brentford (23/11/24) | |
|---|---|
Match Stats | # |
Minutes played | 90′ |
Touches | 58 |
Shots (on target) | 3 (0) |
Pass completion | 33/38 (87%) |
Key passes | 4 |
Dribbles (completed) | 4 (4) |
Total duels (won) | 7 (6) |
Stats via Sofascore | |
Before the match, Dyche was quizzed on whether he’d be interested in playing Ndiaye at number ten, with the Senegal star viewed with properties to succeed in such a role.
His response: “In the Premier League, playing as a number 10 is a very defensive-minded role, now.”
That’s all well and good, but can he use that same justification when looking at Dwight McNeil, whose defensive issues might be knocking Everton’s fluency off-kilter?
Why Dyche could boldly drop Dwight McNeil
McNeil is obviously a fantastic player and one of Everton’s chief attacking threats, but there’s a compelling case to be made that his role at number ten is inhibiting the overall fluency of Dyche’s side.
Dwight McNeil – Stats vs Brentford (23/11/24) | |
|---|---|
Match Stats | # |
Minutes played | 90′ |
Touches | 80 |
Shots (on target) | 5 (1) |
Pass completion | 43/45 (96%) |
Key passes | 3 |
Possession lost | 19x |
Dribbles (completed) | 4 (2) |
Total duels (won) | 11 (2) |
Stats via Sofascore | |
He’s had finer days, let’s put it that way. Wasteful on the ball and flimsy in the duel – having squandered possession on 19 occasions and lost nine duels in all – McNeil will need to bring more of an all-encompassing sheen to his displays if he is going to improve Everton’s overall level of performance.
Make no mistake, he’s an excellent player and must continue to play a prominent role across the duration of the campaign, but can Dyche run the line that number ten is a position with new defensive layers if McNeil fails to uphold such tactical virtues?
With Ndiaye virtually undroppable on the left flank, perhaps it’s time to shuffle the pack and restore some of the midfield industriousness.
Football is a game of 11 parts, and it might prove to be a shrewd move next weekend, with Everton up against Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United.
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