Everton striker Neal Maupay put himself in ‘absolutely glorious positions’ during the Toffees’ 2-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham, claims journalist Paul Brown.
The Lowdown: Maupay’s Blues career
Since arriving at Goodison Park this summer in a deal worth £15m, the Frenchman has scored just once in five top-flight appearances for the club.
However, this can be partially explained by the number of touches of the ball the 26-year-old is getting. This figure has decreased each week since Maupay scored the winning goal over West Ham in September, with the former Brighton man often tasked with a selfless role up front.
In 66 minutes of play against Spurs on Saturday, the forward only touched the ball 15 times, failing to register a shot.
The Latest: Should have scored
Despite these seemingly underwhelming stats, Brown believes Maupay has Demarai Gray to thank for not getting on the score-sheet at Spurs.
Speaking with GiveMeSport, the journalist pointed out the Frenchman's positioning on the winger's breakaway:
"The best chance they had in the first half of that game, or one of them, fell to Demarai Gray. And I watched Maupay, live and then through the replays, get himself into two absolutely glorious positions for a simple tap in if Gray had seen him and played the pass, but Gray went for glory and blazed it over instead."
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The Verdict: Needs better service
As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, Maupay ranks in the 13th percentile for non-penalty goals. However, having amassed 27 goals in 107 Premier League appearances for a relegation-battling side in Brighton, the Frenchman’s finishing ability is certainly not the reason for his recent lack of goals.
Whilst he has ranked in the 85th percentile for pressures, showing the shift he is putting in up top, the 26-year-old sits in the 38th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area (via FBRef).
This suggests the attacker isn’t getting the service needed from his teammates, forcing him to drop deep to pick up the ball.
Frank Lampard needs to figure out a way to get more service to both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Maupay, a 'unique' threat in the words of former Seagulls boss Graham Potter, or risk becoming stale as an attacking unit.