Everton 4-0 Gor Mahia: Player Ratings

Everton brushed aside Gor Mahia 4-0 on a freezing November night at Goodison Park.

In what was essentially a glorified friendly, the Blues made light work of the Kenyan outfit to claim the SportPesa Trophy, thanks to goals from Ademola Lookman, Kieran Dowell, Nathan Broadhead and Oumar Niasse.

How the boys in blue rate against patently inferior opposition, and what are their chances of first team football?

Player Ratings

Maarten Stekelenburg - 6: hard to remember having a thing to do. Subbed at half time for Joao Virginia; had he not been he might have got hypothermia.

Chances of first team football - 2: would probably play in Jordan Pickford’s absence, but is never going to displace the England number one.

Beni Baningime - 7: coped well in an unfamiliar position of left-back, rather than his usual central midfield. A good opportunity to work up his match fitness after injury.

Chances of first team football - 4: won’t get in ahead of Idrissa Gueye and André Gomes, that’s for certain. Tom Davies, Morgan Schneiderlin and James McCarthy are also ahead of him in the pecking order. Could make a decent deputy for Lucas Digne if Leighton Baines is out, but hard to gauge against such poor opposition.

Yerry Mina - 7: hardly needed to do any defensive work, but looked extremely comfortable on the ball and played countless neat passes. Like Baningime, a good workout for a player recently back from a long-term injury.

Chances of first team football - 8: is a certainty to play against Chelsea on Sunday given Kurt Zouma is ineligible to face his parent club. After that, will Marco Silva want to immediately break up the solid partnership formed between Zouma and Michael Keane?

Phil Jagielka - 6: like Mina, next to nothing to do, and good to see him back after almost three months without playing a minute.

Chances of first team football - 4: Jagielka is, at best, fourth-choice centre-back now, and may well find himself behind Mason Holgate as well. Surely his Everton career is nearing its end by now.

Mason Holgate - 6: a recurring theme, but not given much to do in his unfavoured position of right-back. Did what was required with minimal fuss.

Chances of first team football - 5: Holgate has gone from starter to exile in the space of a couple of months, but will still get opportunities this season. Hard to see him getting back in at central defence soon. Is he a better full-back than Jonjoe Kenny?

Morgan Schneiderlin - 6: not overly impactful, but some nice touches. Kept the Blues ticking over, as he usually does.

Chances of first team football - 5: with the emergence of Gomes in central midfield, Schneiderlin feels like yesterday’s man. He still has a role to play despite not making the bench of late, but a January exit would not shock many.

Tom Davies - 6: like Schneiderlin, comfortable enough on the ball, without producing any outstanding moments.

Chances of first team football - 7: Silva clearly rates Davies highly, having awarded him with the captain’s armband numerous times this season. Will play lots more football this season but would do well to dislodge Gueye or Gomes currently, though.

Ademola Lookman - 8: looked sharp, and though his goal was a tap-in, good to see him in the right place at the right time. One of Everton’s more impressive players, Lookman played like a man with a point to prove.

Chances of first team football - 7: could easily make a case for him replacing Theo Walcott given Walcott’s waning form, but Lookman must start to produce more often when it matters.

Kieran Dowell - 8: similar to Lookman, knew this was a chance he had to take, and impressed more than most. Great finish for his goal and perhaps should have added further to his tally afterwards.

Chances of first team football - 3: certainly isn’t good enough yet to replace Gylfi Sigurðsson and doesn’t look ready to deputise for him, either. Another loan move looks the most logical next step.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin - 6: will be disappointed not to score given the opposition, but linked up well alongside Cenk Tosun.

Chances of first team football - 6: not ready to be first-choice striker yet, but has shown he has plenty to offer the Blues.

Cenk Tosun - 6: again, would have wanted to hit the target to boost his seemingly fragile confidence. Good assist for Lookman’s goal.

Chances of first team football - 7: probably ahead of Calvert-Lewin, but must start scoring more regularly if he is to win his place back from Richarlison.

João Virginia (replaced Stekelenburg, 46’) - 6: good to see him make his debut. Had to deal with one cross early in the second half, but that was about it.

Chances of first team football - 1: unlikely to make the bench ahead of Stekelenburg. One for the future, clearly.

James McCarthy (replaced Tosun, 62’) - 7: great to see him back for the first time since his horrific double-leg break in January. Usual neat and tidy self, and got the assist for Broadhead’s late goal.

Chances of first team football - 4: hard to see a way back, at least on a regular basis, for McCarthy. Another who may benefit from a January move.

Oumar Niasse (replaced Calvert-Lewin, 62’) - 7: scored the pick of the goals in the final moments from outside the penalty area and tried his best as ever.

Chances of first team football - 4: another whose Everton career seems to be drawing to a close. Would probably make the bench if Richarlison, Tosun or Calvert-Lewin were unavailable, but otherwise hard to see a way in for him, despite his well-taken goal tonight.

Kyle John (replaced Jagielka, 76’) - 6: took up the position of right-back, allowing Holgate to move to central defence. Didn’t do a great deal but a good opportunity to blood youngsters.

Chances of first team football - 1: another whose opportunities this season seem unfeasible.

Anthony Gordon (replaced Dowell, 76’) - 6: ditto Kyle John.

Chances of first team football - 1: ditto Kyle John (again). Rated highly, though, so maybe a loan move soon.

Nathan Broadhead (replaced Lookman, 86’) - 7: managed to get on the scoresheet in the few minutes he was on the pitch.

Chances of first team football - 1: beginning to sound like a broken record at this point, but for the same reasons as above.

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Ultimately, this was a good opportunity to give game time to those needing minutes, but little more. Each rating should be taken with a pinch of salt given how poor Gor Mahia were.

The vuvuzelas get a firm 0, though; if there is one thing that will never be seen at Goodison again after tonight, then never mind Niasse, McCarthy or Schneiderlin, hopefully it is them. An utter assault on the ears.