Everton were held to a goalless draw by relegation favourites Burnley on Saturday afternoon.
Whilst it wasn’t the result Everton were hoping for, there were still some really encouraging performances across the pitch.
Tyler Dibling looked pretty decent in only his second Premier League start of the season, filling the void left by Iliman Ndiaye.
What did you make of Tyler Dibling’s performance vs Burnley? 👏
He should have had an assist but Beto was not sharp enough to convert his cross 😫
Tim Iroegbunam also played well in midfield, and the backline was solid, keeping their seventh clean sheet.
But, there was one standout performer who was the clear Man of the Match. The statistics say it all.
James Garner was the clear MOTM vs Burnley
James Garner has enjoyed a sensational first half of the season, and his performances have attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs.
Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United have all been showing an interest in Garner ahead of the January transfer window, but Everton are keen to renew his deal and tie him down to a long-term contract.
The 24-year-old produced another excellent performance against Burnley, as evidenced by his dominant statistics in the middle of the park.
The former Manchester United youngster made two key passes, so he was unfortunate not to get an assist, and he also won a whopping eight duels.
According to Sofascore, Garner was the joint-highest rated Everton player, tied with Michael Keane and Jake O’Brien.
- 90 minutes
- 76 touches
- 88% pass accuracy
- 2 key passes
- 1 big chance created
- 8/12 duels won
- 11 defensive contributions
- 7.7 SofaScore rating
James Garner must be close to England call-up
The World Cup is just months away as we head into 2026, and Everton could have a few England internationals at the tournament.
Jordan Pickford will, of course, be the number one goalkeeper, and Jack Grealish and Jarrad Branthwaite will no doubt be in contention.
One point gained or two points dropped, Toffees? 😫
Garner, however, probably looks best-placed to get into the squad ahead of the aforementioned pair as he’s been so consistent this year.
Tuchel has been keeping tabs on Garner throughout the season and was spotted chatting with him in the Old Trafford tunnel in November.
The Toffees star is very versatile as he can operate as a midfielder and as a full-back, so that trait may give him the edge over other Englishmen vying for a spot in Tuchel’s squad.
The next international break is in March, so Garner will have to maintain this level of performance until then.
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