Everton continued their positive run of recent form on Saturday afternoon with a 1-0 win over Cardiff City, courtesy of a second-half strike from Gylfi Sigurdsson.
The Iceland international’s revival under Marco Silva represents a microcosm of a wide-scale improvement throughout the club, but his rapid improvement is perhaps the most indicative of how quickly the Portuguese manager has managed to imprint his new philosophy.
The foundations of Everton’s transformation were laid in the summer transfer window, when Silva brought in a handful of technically gifted players to provide his squad with the relevant tools to construct a new-look side.
One of those players was Andre Gomes, a talented deep-lying playmaker, who arrived from Barcelona on a season-long loan deal.
Injuries have forced Gomes to bide his time for an opportunity this season, but he hasn’t looked back since he made his debut for the club.
Showcasing a classy approach, combining close ball control with forward-thinking passes, Gomes has wasted no time in endearing himself to the Goodison Park faithful, and he turned in another compelling performance on Saturday afternoon.
His performance was duly noted by BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks, who named him in his team of the week column as one of the standout performers of the weekend.
‘The Portugal international is very tenacious which can sometimes overshadow the fact that he is very comfortable on the ball and can see a pass.’
‘Against Cardiff, who are an increasingly difficult side to play against, Gomes was the only Everton player who kept hurting them. Gylfi Sigurdsson may have got the goal but it was Gomes who wore them down.’
Everton fans and neutrals alike are firmly aware of his ball-playing ability, but a statistic revealed by Crooks hints that there are plenty more strings to his bow; Gomes is not simply a passer, he is also willing to graft in midfield to recover possession.
According to Crooks: ‘Gomes made two tackles, two interceptions and made 57 passes in Everton’s 1-0 victory over Cardiff City.’
Now, a total of four tackles and interceptions would be a decent return for Everton’s ball-winning destroyer, Idrissa Gueye, so the fact Gomes has managed to combine his primary function with the less glamorous side of the game is an incredibly encouraging statistic for his Premier League credentials.
Within a league as physical as the English top-flight there is simply no room for passengers who aren’t willing to work hard defensively to supplement their attacking quality, so Silva will be delighted to see Gomes’ willingness to adapt to and embrace his new surroundings.
Gomes was certainly not signed to recover possession for his side, but the statistics from Everton’s victory over Brighton hint that it’s a quality he has in his locker – and his well-rounded approach could yet convince the Toffees to sign him permanently.
Everton fans – thoughts? Let us know below!
