Everton were emphatic and incisive last night, as they brushed aside Burnley to secure their place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
Having made a huge step towards Wembley in a competition they have actually never won across their history, the Goodison Park crowd paid tribute not just to a stellar performance, but to a management team that seems to finally have found some stability after years of uncertainty.
Relegation battles have not been enjoyable experiences for the Toffees, but under the strong and stable leadership that Sean Dyche has now. brought, all signs suggest they will be a thing of the past.
Especially given he seems to have finally found his strongest side too, with James Garner a key cog in the engine room.
Last night only further emphasised this, as the £30k-per-week maestro shone despite often being forced into a more workmanlike role than the creative one he prefers. It could even be argued that his display rivalled that of James Tarkowski at the back, despite the former Burnley defender recording a goal, assist and clean sheet against his old club.
How did James Garner play vs Burnley?
Starting alongside Amadou Onana, already the foundation is built for the former Manchester United ace to strut his stuff offensively. However, despite having impressed with his tenacity further up the field, it was his unseen work that truly earned praise.
After all, writer Ell Bretland would take to Twitter to suggest: ‘Thought James Garner did all the dirty stuff really well tonight. Was more about tackling and stopping Burnley momentum in midfield and he stopped them in their tracks time and again. Good performance and showed that other side to his game. He’s got a bit of everything. Love him.’
Such a notion was outlined well in the data too, as the 22-year-old was combative throughout his 90 minutes on the field, winning eight of the nine duels he competed in at an 88% success rate.
Then, he would combine such solidity with an 81% pass accuracy, 100% dribble success rate, and a sole key pass, via Sofascore. It was a near-perfect all-around display, where Garner did exactly what was needed of him to neutralise the visitors’ threat.
Given his youth, it is impressive the maturity shown to not just seek out goals and assists, but revel in the dirty work he did so well last night.
Dyche will be delighted with how Garner has contributed to Everton‘s return to form, and will likely see the young maestro as a key player in their long-term success too.
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