Everton 0-0 Liverpool | 3 points from a thrilling scoreless draw

the tide is turning

Everton took one hammer after another last season, and for the first time since 1954, the famous old club was on the verge of being handed over to the second tier of English football. Rafael Benitez, and finally, the late realization that Everton’s hands will be tied up in the transfer market.

The former Liverpool boss undoubtedly did his best, but wreaked havoc with his autocratic ways (football director Marcel Brands was apparently marginalized, and many of the scouts/analytical departments His chaotic and short-lived reign finally came to an end last January, leaving his eventual replacement, Frank Lampard, in an injury-plagued mess that slipped down the table. I was given the poisoned chalice that would take over the team.

The new manager eventually had to abandon his intentions of playing glamorous front foot football and instead focus on stabilizing a ship that was rapidly taking on water, The prospect of relegation turned into a grim reality.

This summer, Lampard came out of a state of emergency and worked with Everton’s new football director, Kevin Selwell, to identify and recruit players who fit a particular mold. In addition to physical resilience (which is not surprising given the team’s well-documented struggles with injuries in recent years), leadership and character are prominent traits identified in recruitment targets. attribute. The new season opener sees the team building on the raw foundation laid before.

In the seven games played so far in all competitions this season, the Blues have shown a strong mental edge, bolstered by the addition of experienced players with proven leadership traits in James Tarkowski and Conor Cody. showed attitude. On Saturday, Everton passed their biggest test to date with flying colors, even if they failed to secure a win. The level of organization within the team was evident on the pitch of the players’ commitment to the cause, in an effort to back each other up when necessary, close gaps, and keep their bodies in line with blocks and challenges.

There is real elan emanating from the group. Confidence in what they are doing during the game. None of the confusion or indecision we’ve witnessed…for a long time, honestly. : Performance levels and cohesion are improving as a direct result. The Blues look like a real team.

Nathan Patterson rounded out Luis Diaz as the Blues held on tight and showed true unity

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midfield forming

The centerpiece of the park was Everton’s black hole for a while. There had been previous attempts to rectify that when Ancelotti brought in Alan and Abdoulaye Dukur, but there was no depth underneath them. Both players neutralized some of their positive points with a two-man system that typically required a lot of running. It’s been this way since 2 years ago. Lampard is aware of this as a concern and Selwell has increased his recruiting efforts in this area, with Amadou getting Onana, Idrissa Gana, Gye and James Garner.

Two of the trio took to the pitch at Goodison Park over the weekend and the results were impressive. His reinvention as a central midfielder is one of the narratives of this early campaign with Alex Iwobi and a rejuvenated Tom He alongside Davis, Onana looks like an exciting prospect before he can Only a few games have passed. Safe operator. The Belgian, who recently turned 21, has all the talent and attitude to become a dominant player in this league, and this could come sooner than even Lampard expected. Young have an unusual combination of quickness and size. Combined with technical aptitude, toughness, and a winning mentality, Onana’s upper limit is impossible to predict, but definitely very high.

Former favorite Gueye returned with 29 minutes left to replace Davies. This season, the 32-year-old plunged headlong into a high-tempo game despite missing minutes, and his cameo showed the wisdom of pursuing him in a painfully protracted transfer saga. rice field. It’s still early days, but as expected, the veteran is back as a different player, and it looks like he’s already trained in one position (he has 3 interceptions from the bench, 10 attempts to press). he only once). As he gains the edge of the game, the former PSG man will become very important to the team and their form, perhaps allowing Onana to support offense and move forward more often.

Iwobi has just evolved into a perfect center midfielder against all odds. Lampard’s recognition of this at the (former) winger, of course, must be passed on to the player himself who will use the opportunity to carve out a consistent role. The Nigerian looks more confident in this match. Waiting for reinforcements to arrive, he was mostly alone in the center of the park putting things together, but there is no doubt that they have arrived. Rich in youthful effort, cunning, and tireless effort. Throw in Doucoure and when he recovered from his injuries, Davies, Garner and maybe even Allan, things hadn’t looked brighter in the engine room for longer than I can remember.

Amadou Onana, working on Andrew Robertson, is already a key member of Everton’s engine room

Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

random observation

What a difference having a real Premier League-class centre-forward makes a difference for a team. Neil Maupay, who made a late debut for the Toffees, put in a great performance for a player who played in his first official game of the season. showed. It’s true that the former Brighton & Hove Albion man missed a clear chance to put the hosts ahead in the second half, but his sharpness improves with match time. did a great job of keeping the 2018 from playing through Fabinho (the Brazilian was limited to 50 touches). His move caused problems for Liverpool all day, with the Frenchman showing an impressive natural fitness, playing the full 90 minutes even though he hasn’t played a minute yet this season.

Both Everton full-backs stepped up to the plate against tough opposition.Vitallii Mykolenko silenced the vaunted Mo Salah for much of the match, but it was his opposite side who stole the praise. was the number on the right side of Nathan Patterson, having just put in a solid defensive effort at Elland Road in midweek, once again stood out in the traditional right-back role. He quickly made his presence very recognizable to the treacherous Luis Diaz with some strong challenges and didn’t give the Colombian much space. The 20-year-old has really thrived under Lampard and his coaching team, and is another player whose confidence grows with each appearance. The Scotsman has good physical attributes and a desire to improve, so he’ll be a leap forward this season.

The manager was only back on the bench twice on Saturday, and only once escaped criticism for doing so. Indeed, the team tired noticeably in the closing stages of a hard-fought match against a formidable opponent at Liverpool. His 5 of 23 shots came in his 92nd minute, contributing his 0.85 of 2.19 xG (expected goals) as Everton held on until the end. A fresh leg could help resist this late pressure, but who deserves to take it off? I could make a strong case that all the remaining players could see a full 90.

Debutant Neil Maupay effectively harassed Liverpool’s defensive midfield pivot Fabinho

Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images