They say a week is a long time in football and over the last week it has certainly felt like there was a degree of pressure around Everton Football Club.
An opening day defeat to newly-promoted Leeds United, a lack of transfer activity, and also the need to open their Premier League campaign at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium with a positive result made the atmosphere around the club a little bit tetchy to say the least.
Fear not, though, Sunday’s two-nil victory against Brighton and Hove Albion, courtesy of two assists from new Toffees’ talisman Jack Grealish and a penalty save from England’s Jordan Pickford sent the capacity crowd home along the Dock Road happy in the Merseyside sunshine.
It was a special moment for Grealish and the Everton fans. Now, with a week of the transfer window still to go, we could see David Moyes getting further boosts, including the impending arrival of Tyler Dibling.
- READ MORE: Theo Walcott said Tyler Dibling actually reminds him of a five-time Champions League winner
Jack Grealish shines in Everton win vs Brighton
The fans were excited to see Jack Grealish and he didn’t disappoint. Two assists in his first competitive game for the club, and there was a real air of expectation each time he received the ball.
Grealish has the potential to become a real cult hero at Everton. The fans love to see a player trying to entertain and he certainly did that. The appreciation was clear to see with his standing ovation as he was replaced with a minute of normal time remaining.
| Statistics | Jack Grealish vs Brighton |
| Assists | 2 |
| Touches | 57 |
| Pass success | 82% |
| Key passes | 3 |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Dribble success | 20% |
| Duel success | 42.85% |
Moyes will be delighted to have got that first win at the new stadium out of the way, despite Everton riding their luck in the first half – especially after Brighton missed a number of glaring chances and hit both the post and the bar.
However, the mood will have definitely improved with the win, and he will now want to build on the feel-good factor with progression in the cup in midweek and a few new faces in the next seven days, too.
Tyler Dibling is on the way, but Everton need more in the market
In addition to Grealish’s success, the impending arrival of exciting young midfielder Tyler Dibling from Southampton has made for a much brighter feel amongst fans and club alike.
Dibling will undergo a medical in the next 24 hours and is expected to be unveiled as an Everton player soon after. The signing, for what I understand to be a deal worth less than the £40m+ figure bandied about, is a further indication that the club are bringing in signings which have huge potential, with the likes of Thierno Barry and Adam Aznou already signed.
Dibling has been touted by many as a future full England international. With only 35 senior appearances and two goals to his name, of course there is a risk with such a deal, but if the numerous coaches that have worked with Dibling are right then Everton could have a player on their hands.
Everton held firm in their valuation of the player, walking away from the deal after leaving their third and final offer on the table three weeks ago. That deal, I understand, was £32m plus around £5m of add-ons for certain milestones reached. New owners TFG are adamant the club will not be seen as an easy touch in transfer dealings and Southampton’s return to that table, and that final offer, has gone some way to getting that message out.
Offensively, Everton are looking plentiful, with the caveat that possibly a further addition of a main striker could well be needed to go along with Beto and Barry. However, it’s the defensive and midfield areas which Everton fans and David Moyes will hope is strengthened before the window shuts on September 1st.
A right-back has been a requirement for some time now and there is some thought that a defensive midfielder is needed to help Idrissa Gana Gueye and Tim Iroegbunam, who both gave positive performances against Brighton.
David Moyes will want to see more bodies arrive in the next week. Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fixture against Mansfield Town will more than likely emphasise the need for further reinforcements as the manager will surely look to rest a couple of the more senior players ahead of a trip to Wolves at the weekend.
Now, we wait to see what the rest of the window brings for the Toffees.
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