Despite a strong showing at the Emirates, ultimately Everton left North London without anything to show for their efforts. However, the quest to sneak into a European place remains firmly alive in my opinion.
There are still very winnable games in the eight remaining Premier League fixtures, including an intriguing looking game away at Brentford immediately following the international break. It’s pivotal as the two sides look to be challenging each other for that seventh place finish.
However, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I can’t help but feel frustrated by the failure to address the striker situation both in the summer and January windows.
How have we come away from that with nothing? 😫
Alan Myers bemoans lack of striker signing after watching Everton vs Arsenal
I said on both occasions that I hoped not bringing in another option to the two strikers currently at the club wouldn’t be to the detriment of Everton’s European hopes. As we get closer to knowing our destiny for next season though, the sense of foreboding increases.
I’m not going to sit here and criticise the two main strikers, both are committed to the cause, both give their all but it’s clear they’ve not done enough in front of goal this season with regards to goals return. For various reasons, the club needed at least one different option, which it doesn’t have.
This must be in the top three priorities for the recruitment team and one hopes that work has already begun. Watching the game against champions elect Arsenal, it was so annoying to see the ball coming back constantly, working the midfielders and defenders more than necessary, as we failed to hold it up for any credible amount of time.
The work rate of the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye, along with the much-improved Dwight McNeil – not to mention the resolute rearguard – was extremely encouraging to see.
I believe if the team shows the same level of performance against Chelsea this coming weekend then, there’s a real chance of a sixth victory of the season at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Who was your Man of the Match in what was a positive performance? 👏
The players deserved so much more… 😡
Everton need James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite for run-in after surprising Arsenal absence
There was a lot of discussion about the absence of both James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite at the Emirates after David Moyes had reported no new injuries on Friday, and said Branthwaite “should be ok”. However the manager was at pains to point out that the England International was being monitored closely, and he would be guided by the advice of the medical staff.
Moyes chose not to discuss the pair’s omission from the team in the press conference after the game, but I don’t believe there was anything sinister in his unwillingness to talk about it. I think he’s a manager who only likes to talk about the players that played and, after a positive performance, I think he’s most likely wanted to put the spotlight on those rather than those that hadn’t played.
I may, of course, be wrong but that would be my guess, and whether he knew or not beforehand is irrelevant, it’s a manager’s prerogative to keep his team news to himself.
I suspect we’ll know more about their availability for the Chelsea game as the week goes on, and both will be crucial during what will be an exciting run-in over the next two months or so. That’s taking nothing away from Michael Keane and Jake O’Brien’s performances on Saturday, but if Everton are to snatch that seventh place they will need a near fully fit squad for the last eight games.
However, whilst the result at Arsenal was ultimately disappointing, with two late goals, let me cast your minds back to two years ago and this from a newspaper report after Everton, had lost, at home, to David Moyes’ West Ham:
“The hosts were again woeful in front of goal, their previously assured defence has conceded stoppage time goals on two successive weekends. It is an alarming combination for a team that is now without a win in 10 Premier League games.”
Yes, late goals did for them again but the manner of Everton’s defeat against a team on their way to lifting the Premier League title, the performance, the plaudits and the general feel, is very different to March 2024. Everton showed they are challenging teams now, they are a threat again and it’s good to see.
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