The international break is rarely met with wide-spread arms by those hungry-eyed Premier League viewers, but the November edition might have come at a good time for Sean Dyche‘s Everton.
While the Toffees have only lost once across seven top-flight fixtures, they’ve started the 2024/25 season off on poor footing previously losing four in a row. There is a stark lack of inspiration about this squad, one win in five, and it is hardly free from the relegation zone’s blast radius.
The Friedkin Group are moving to acquire Farhad Moshiri‘s 94% stake in the club, so change is going to be afoot. Dyche will know that he will be part of the upheaval process if he does not turn the Blues squad in the right direction and propel them forward.
One beam of positivity to emerge from the domestic freeze, however, is that stars have the opportunity to re-energise themselves, find their form once again. Jordan Pickford has done exactly that with the Three Lions.
Jordan Pickford’s England performance vs Greece
England’s number one between the sticks completed his 70th appearance for his nation against Greece, keeping his 34th clean sheet and having a big say in the result too.
As per Sofascore, not only did the 30-year-old make five brilliant saves, but he also completed 11 long balls, made five clearances and won both of his contested duels. Omnipresent inside his area, Pickford dared any brazen detractor to step forth and demand he relinquish his position.
It was a commanding performance indeed, with the Toffees star showcasing his range of goalkeeping qualities and earning praise from the press.
He wasn’t the only Everton member to impress on Thursday, however, with experienced Idrissa Gueye putting in a fine shift for Senegal as they held off Burkina Faso.
Idrissa Gueye was a machine for Senegal
Gueye might be 35 but he’s still carrying plenty of indefatigable energy, excelling in the middle of the field for his nation as they won 1-0 in their African Cup of Nations qualifier.
Idrissa Gueye: Performance vs Burkina Faso (14/11/24) | |
|---|---|
Match Stats | # |
Minutes played | 90′ |
Touches | 75 |
Shots (on target) | 3 (1) |
Accurate passes | 48/50 (96%) |
Key passes | 4 |
Tackles | 4 |
Ground duels (won) | 8 (6) |
Stats via Sofascore | |
The former Paris Saint-Germain man is known for his energy, his combativeness, his strength, as shown by his six duels won. Gueye is ceaseless, mobile and intelligent. Loose balls are scooped up and distributed calmly, and his influence often goes under the radar.
But the veteran asset is also deceptively dynamic and creative, with his four key passes – and 96% pass accuracy – for his country showcasing that. Furthermore, this isn’t just an anomaly: he’s averaged 0.4 key passes per Premier League match for Everton this term, which is quite an impressive number for a so-called deep-sitting midfielder operating within a team scrambling away from the danger zone.
Everton know that they are going to need to fight tooth and nail to make headway in the Premier League this season, but with Gueye playing so well for club and country both in this twilit stage of his career, there’s just cause for optimism.
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