Going into the start of last week, most Everton fans would have likely taken just three points from two tricky home fixtures against top sides.
The first, under floodlights on Thursday night, welcomed a Newcastle United side buoyed by recent form but ravaged by injuries. With relative ease, they were brushed aside by a 3-0 scoreline.
Next came yesterday’s opponents Chelsea, and whilst they enjoyed more of the ball, they too fell foul to the same Sean Dyche gameplan; a philosophy that is proving supremely profitable this campaign.
The Toffees are one of the in-form teams in the Premier League at the moment, having picked up 12 points from their last five matches. With just two losses from their last 13 in all competitions, this is a side so much better than a relegation dogfight.
However, merely delving through the squad was enough to outline that notion.
Especially when the option to simply bring Amadou Onana off the bench was present yesterday, with the Belgian marking his return to injury with a stellar second-half showing.
How good was Everton’s Amadou Onana vs Chelsea?
Having been enlisted to save Idrissa Gana Gueye from a potentially calamitous second yellow card, it was likely an introduction that Dyche was forced into sooner than he would have liked.
However, it paid dividends almost instantly, as the 22-year-old maestro went about demanding the ball on numerous occasions.
He was always an option for the centre-backs, yet showcased such poise and power to hold off the onrushing attackers and free up space. As such, the former LOSC Lille man misplaced just a sole pass, enjoying a 93% success rate with one key pass too, via Sofascore.
Not only that, but the titanic central midfield would also win 80% of the five duels he competed in alongside making two tackles. A truly mesmeric display, and one that clearly changed the game.
Many others rushed to laud such a solid 45-minute cameo, as Onana returned as if he had never been away. Journalist Chris Beesley would even write the following in his post-match player ratings for the Liverpool ECHO: ‘Back for his first outing since the last international break, he added a different dimension to Everton’s midfield and looked impressive as a deep playmaker.’
The £100k-per-week Belgium international only continues to showcase his importance to Everton with each passing week, with the interest from other clubs understandable.
Goodison Park will want to at least keep him around for a little while longer, to see just how far this side can go with him as their focal point.
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