Why Beto was absent from Everton’s squad v Man United revealed

Add as preferred source on Google

Everton pushed relentlessly for a goal that just would not come yesterday, with many of their usually reliable stars drawing blanks.

It has been an all-too-common occurrence this campaign, which has been consistently marred by profligacy in front of goal.

The Toffees now sit ninth for their total expected goals for tally this season, with their figure of 23.30 higher than the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion, West Ham United and even yesterday’s opponents Manchester United.

And yet, they have only found the net on 14 occasions, outlining a mass underperformance.

Although Dominic Calvert-Lewin is so often a reliable marksman when fit, Sunday’s game marked a rare off day for the forward who simply could not bypass Andre Onana. And yet, there was no like-for-like replacement on the bench.

Beto’s absence was a confusing one given there had been little inkling of any injury doubts, but Sean Dyche has since offered an update to fans: ‘Beto took a crunch to the knee and will be assessed in the morning.’

How good is Beto?

Having joined in a £30m move this summer, arguably the greatest achievement the Portuguese titan has accomplished thus far is offering the requisite backup to allow Calvert-Lewin to return to full fitness.

However, there have been flashes of brilliance from the £50k-per-week finisher that suggest he could soon emerge as a standout star for Everton.

After all, it was only earlier this month that saw the former Udinese forward showcase his blistering speed down the byline before dribbling infield and assisting their third to complete their EFL Cup rout over Burnley.

This marked his second goal contribution in the competition, having scored the equaliser in their comeback win over Doncaster Rovers too.

With all the physical attributes to thrive in the Premier League, the 25-year-old has only been limited to cameos from the bench thus far. However, yesterday would have been the perfect time to perhaps offer him an elongated stint on the pitch.

Calvert-Lewin battled well but was failing to find the net with every opportunity. Some fresh forward play could have been key in engineering an unlikely comeback, and whilst Beto will want what is best for the team, he will secretly be hoping for another off day from his striking rival to hand him an opportunity to shine when he is back in the squad.