It is not often that Everton fans are willing their team back into action, but today marks one such occasion, with the home support now quietly confident despite facing a tough opponent in Brighton and Hove Albion.
Especially after Wednesday night’s mauling of Burnley, in which they were happy to relinquish possession and allow the visitors the ball, before scoring three goals to win with ease.
Sean Dyche will be hoping to replicate this formula again at kick-off, but will surely have been tempted by some of the performances during that EFL Cup showing which has seen them draw Fulham in the quarter-finals.
Whilst the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite, James Garner and Amadou Onana all shone, their places in the side are already cemented.
For Beto, however, his cameo was far more integral given the fine form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
That therefore explains the sheer look of relief when his moment of magic, charging down the left flank before assisting Ashley Young, saw them add the third goal.
He dropped to his knees and kissed the ground, likely knowing the importance of such a moment. Perhaps it could have just earned him a start today.
Will Beto start today?
Whilst the Portuguese marksman starred from the bench against the Clarets, Abdoulaye Doucoure was instead surprisingly anonymous, struggling to get involved after Arnaut Danjuma had also flitted in and out of the game in the same role.
He and Beto entered the field at the same time, and yet despite operating in the busier midfield area, the £30m marksman recorded more touches (15 v 6), more shots 1 v 0), more key passes (2 v 0) and that key assist, via Sofascore.
Although Dyche has favoured Everton‘s 30-year-old maestro often, and rightly so, perhaps Beto might have just proven why he deserves to start ahead of the Mali international alongside Calvert-Lewin, with the fanbase clearly vocalising their varied opinions on the forward after that clash.
Whilst it might surrender too much space going for a classic 4-4-2, the 25-year-old striker could instead be asked to sit in and create just as he did on Wednesday, whilst also offering that physical threat.
Journalist Lewis Steele would even take to Twitter to detail his outstanding characteristics following his scoring debut against Doncaster Rovers which could come in handy against De Zerbi’s outfit: ‘Blistering pace, can bully defenders and – unlike many Toffees strikers in the last five years – knows where the goal is.’
Perhaps today, against a side that will struggle to compete with his physicality, he could truly arrive in the Premier League.
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