Why Sean Dyche must now hand rarely-seen Everton star a run of games alongside Beto

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Everton were given little to enjoy last night, as they whimpered out of the EFL Cup at the quarter-final stage.

The home crowd was flat, as were the players, who failed to show up for one of the biggest games in the past few years.

Seldom have the Toffees been able to focus solely on a cup run, given the relegation threats that loomed elsewhere in the Premier League.

Well, with Sean Dyche having seemingly expelled those fears, it finally seemed the opportunity was right for Everton to end their trophy drought.

Although they remain in the FA Cup, it still marked a desperately disappointing result that they must expunge from memory as soon as possible with another game this weekend.

Facing Tottenham Hotspur at their home ground, it marks one of the tougher challenges that English football can throw up at the moment.

However, perhaps it also marks an opportunity for Arnaut Danjuma to exact some revenge, especially after his bright cameo against Fulham.

How good has Arnaut Danjuma been for Everton?

Having joined in the summer, just six months after snubbing the managerless Toffees for Spurs, there is a strange dynamic shared between the two clubs and player.

However, the north London club clearly did not favour his services, and the Dutchman was limited to a single league start.

Although the same seems to be happening on Merseyside, with Danjuma having only made three starts, last night offered a glimpse of the Champions League quality player they thought they had initially attained.

After all, he showcased his quick feet on a number of occasions, clearly having remained sharp despite a lack of match action.

As such, it was his combination with Dwight McNeil down the left flank that actually led to Beto’s equalising goal, before he found himself in a fine position to nearly volley home the winner.

A constant danger despite only being on for 18 minutes, that one key pass combined with the two shots he managed only emphasised this further, via Sofascore.

He is a threat, and offers a completely different dynamic to the squad. It should come as no surprise that the man who once notched 22 goal contributions in the Championship for AFC Bournemouth was lauded by Jonathan Woodgate, his boss at the time, as ‘exceptional’.

Given Beto also threatened when coming on, this duo have surely made a great stride forward with regard to potentially earning that start.

However, should Danjuma remain sidelined, they could actually be set to lose his services altogether despite his vocal admiration for his teammates. During this injury crisis, there is no better time to give him the minutes he deserves.