Everton were left frustrated with a defeat at Old Trafford despite a relatively positive performance. But what do the numbers tell us? Here I’ve taken a deeper look…
14-14 in Shots
Everton match United for shots at Old Trafford…
…for the first time since Everton’s 1-0 win over David Moyes’ side back in 2013.
Unfortunately shots don’t equal goals. But it’s a good measure of how far we’ve progressed in terms of style under Marco Silva.
Richarlison is not a striker
Brazilian wasted in central position
Despite winning a penalty, Richarlison looks much less of a threat while playing as a striker compared to his favoured left-wing position where he can run at defenders.
He managed to get off two shots at Old Trafford – double the tally he managed in the same position against Leicester City and Crystal Palace – but it’s clear we are mitigating our biggest threat with the young Brazilian having to hold up the ball and play with his back to goal.
Pickford’s Remarkable Penalty Record
Keeper has saved 45% off penalties faced for Everton
Jordan Pickford rose to international prominence for his penalty saving antics for England at the World Cup, but that form has continued for his club too.
Of the 11 penalties Pickford has faced for Everton, he has saved a remarkable five of the them – meaning he has a save rate of nearly 45%.
Walcott Anonymous Again
For the fourth game in a row, winger had fewest touches
As I discussed after the Palace game, Theo Walcott is having zero effect on games right now and, for the fourth consecutive match, he had the fewest touches of any outfield player for Everton.
With Richarlison’s centre forward experiment not proving fruitful, it’s surely time to reinstate Cenk Tosun in the central role against Brighton next week, put Richarlison out wide, with either Bernard or Lookman on the other side for the time being.
Theo Walcott touched the ball just 26 times in his 77 minutes at Old Trafford. Too often he looks like a passenger. And, to put these numbers into context, Ademola Lookman managed 19 touches despite coming on after the hour mark.
No Wins Away to “Top 6” in 5 Years
Zero wins from over 30 attempts on the road
Playing away to the “big six” is no easy feat - for anyone in the league. But Everton’s record is absolutely disastrous. The Blues haven’t won away at any of the top six sides since Bryan Oviedo’s late strike at Old Trafford in 2013.
In the last five meetings against these sides, Everton have won none, drawn nine, and lost 21 times. That’s a points return of nine points from a possible 90. You can see our record against these sides below.
Manchester City: W0 D3 L2
Manchester United: W0 D1 L4
Liverpool W0 D2 L3
Spurs W0 D2 L3
Chelsea: W0 D1 L4
Arsenal: W0 D0 L5
Despite this, Marco Silva’s approach to the “big” sides has been much more positive this season, with the trips to Arsenal and United certainly producing positives. A win at one of the big sides this season (ideally at Anfield!) would be a huge psychological boost.