Everton suffered a 3-1 defeat to David Moyes’ West Ham United on the weekend, leaving them in 16th-placed.
Sean Dyche‘s side led in the clash through Beto, who converted James Garner‘s wicked curling cross, but The Hammers fought back with three unanswered goals, including two in stoppage time.
The hosts will be left rueing their missed penalty, as Beto saw his 12-yard spot kick saved by Alphonse Areola.
With that said, an interesting stat has emerged and it’s certainly an unwanted one for The Toffees, who remain the third-lowest scorers in the divisions.
Everton not helped by goalkeeping stat
West Ham goalkeeper Areola enjoyed a productive afternoon at Goodison Park this weekend and took home a remarkable 9.74 match rating, as per WhoScored.
The French shot-stopper made nine saves, including a penalty, and prevented 3.11 goals, according to Sofascore.
The 31-year-old’s 9.74 rating is the highest by a goalkeeper in the Premier League this season, evincing quite how match-winning his performance was in between the sticks.
He leapfrogs Jose Sa and Bernd Leno, who both picked up their terrific nine-plus ratings against the Merseysiders.
Meaning, the top three highest-rated performances by a goalkeeper this term have all come against Dyche’s team.
It’s an unwanted statistic that’s ultimately costing Everton.
Everton wasteful in defeat to West Ham United
Whilst Everton have been unfortunate with the brilliance of opposition shot-stoppers, they must take accountability for their missed chances.
Beto’s spot-kick yesterday was tame and it was a fairly comfortable save for Areola. The £25m summer signing joined The Toffees with lofty expectations but hasn’t lived up to those as of yet.
Two goals in 22 Premier League outings is an underwhelming return and he’s looked bereft of confidence at points.
The towering centre-forward missed two big chances and was dispossessed 13 times throughout his 74 minutes on the pitch. Beto’s all-round game must improve, not just in front of goal.
Meanwhile, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who replaced the Portuguese striker, hasn’t netted since October, so Dyche should consider turning to Youssef Chermiti to solve his side’s goalscoring woes.
The 2004-born, who was brought in from Sporting last summer, is still awaiting his first league start for Everton and deserves a chance after netting twice in an under-21 fixture last week.
Alternatively, Chermiti could be partnered with Calvert-Lewin or Beto, operating just behind as a second striker.
Perhaps that could improve The Toffees’ potency in front of goal.
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox
