What to make of Everton? In the first half at the Stadium of Light, David Moyes’ tactics worked a treat, with Sunderland unable to match the visitors’ intensity and, crucially, unable to prevent Iliman Ndiaye’s brilliance.
This was a display of resilience and grit, though it was reduced to that samey standard by Everton’s own unravelling of their progressive play. Moyes’ side reverted to type, you could say, not quite shelling up but releasing their hold on the fluency that had played the Black Cats off the park in the early rounds of the fight.
As it is, the point gained on Monday night moves the Toffees a point ahead of Fulham and into 14th place in the Premier League, though one win in seven fixtures is admittedly a concern.
Moreover, Everton have now gone six matches without a clean sheet. Jarrad Branthwaite’s continued absence is affecting the Blues, of course, but inviting pressure will invite goals, and that’s something Moyes’ side have been guilty of doing.
There’s a real chance to take this season by the scruff of the neck and push for a place in the top half of the table. After all, with Ndiaye (and Jack Grealish) in the side, such dreams are achievable.
Iliman Ndiaye strikes again
Everton made their pressure count after 15 minutes in Sunderland, with Ndiaye collecting from the right and shimmying his way down into the box and sending a perfectly-placed shot past Robin Roefs.
Presenter Jamie O’Hara described the 25-year-old as “one of the best players in the Premier League”, and the division is indeed waking up to the fact that this might be true. There is so much good about Ndiaye’s game; so often he is the difference-maker for Moyes’ team.
This season, he has scored four times from ten outings in the Premier League, assisting one goal too.
In fact, the Senegalese’s sumptuous finish has seen him peel away from Beto as the top goalscorer at the club since Moyes returned in January.
Iliman Ndiaye
27
10
Beto
31
9
Abdoulaye Doucoure
17
3
Charly Alcaraz
26
3
Michael Keane
16
2
Jake O’Brien
20
2
Ndiaye’s ability has been widened this term, though. Last year, the electric-paced winger was something of a direct force. You might even say he was a touch one-dimensional.
No longer. Grealish’s arrival has prompted a shift to the right, and while Ndiaye’s striker’s instinct remains, he has now added creativity to his game, averaging 1.3 key passes per match, as per Sofascore, and opening up dimensions from which the centre-forwards are not taking advantage.
Everton have attacking problems, alright, but we’ve perhaps forgotten how a blow Branthwaite’s absence might have been. Last season, for example, the Three Lions defender’s early-season unavailability sparked a four-match losing run that laid the foundation of Dyche’s demise.
But this time around, the Merseysiders are stronger at the back, and much is owed to one man in particular.
The Everton star thriving under Moyes
Everton need to improve under Moyes this season. There is enough quality to challenge higher up the standings, even with the strikers proving so wasteful in front of goal.
But some players have stepped up, and Michael Keane epitomises this, having come within a whisker of leaving the club at the end of his contract last season, instead adding one more year to his stay.
As Branthwaite languishes in the infirmary, Keane has stepped up and emerged as one of the key pillars of the campaign at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, starting all ten of Everton’s Premier League fixtures and playing every minute save for the win over Crystal Palace, when he was withdrawn after the hour mark.
Something of an aerial monster, the 32-year-old has been resourceful alongside the skipper James Tarkowski, who in truth has not been at his best over the past several months.
Keane, conversely, has shone, still limited technically and on the ball, but coming out on top across 62% of his ground battles. Furthermore, his 85% pass success rate suggests he is keeping things cool when playing out of defence.
And, of course, Keane has something of an unnatural instinct for goal, having scored twice under Moyes’ wing despite limited game time.
A contentious handball scare aside, Keane produced a rather faultless performance against Sunderland, standing strong against the second-half onslaught and winning five of seven contested duels, also blocking three shots and, incredibly, making 13 clearances (as per Sofascore), that final metric perhaps underscoring how deep Everton had sunk as the hosts cranked up the pressure.
Liverpool World actually awarded the 12-cap England international a 9/10 match rating, hailing his beast-like display in defence as he swept up the danger and made one brave header to prevent a certain goal during one frenzied scramble.
Everton pulled off a lot of business this summer. Moyes knew he’d enjoyed a successful window of wheeler-dealing, but the shrewdest deal of them all might have been extending Keane’s contract by an additional year.
The veteran defender has arguably outplayed Tarkowski beside him, and for a player whose career on Merseyside looked done and dusted, this is quite the resurgence for a side who, in hindsight, desperately needed someone of his ilk to steer them past the latest Branthwaite blow that has not derailed Moyes’ season so far.
In 2022, talkSPORT pundit Perry Groves said that the Toffees defender was “always struggling” for the club, so awkward on the ball that he looked like he was “not in control of his own body.”
Now, he has been revived, owing much, no doubt, to Moyes’ deep-rooted defensive principles. This is a player who is becoming every bit as undroppable as the flashy and fantastic Ndiaye this season.