Everton line up against Manchester United today, with the possibility to close the gap to their rivals for the Premier League’s European places. Currently, just five points separate the Toffees in 11th and the Red Devils in fifth and Sunday’s fixture represents a six-pointer for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the congested top-flight upper mid-table. Everton let their opportunity slip against Arsenal last weekend, surrendering a 2-1 advantage and to avoid a repeat of that, the Italian boss must make some adjustments to his midfield.
Firstly Andre Gomes, fit again after his horrific ankle injury, should make his return to the starting line-up as he showed glimmers of promise against Arsenal and could replace the misfiring Morgan Schneiderlin. As per WhoScored, Gomes averages 39.9 passes and 0.7 key passes per game, while Schneiderlin attempts 37.4 and 0.3 respectively. The statistics highlight how Gomes is not only more involved in play than his French counterpart, but he is also better at creating attacking chances for others when in possession.
Another indicator that Gomes is more progressive in his play than Schneiderlin is that the 26-year-old Portuguese maestro completes 1.3 dribbles around opponents per match, while his elder teammate averages a meagre 0.2, via WhoScored. Although the former Southampton midfielder excels at retaining possession, Gomes exerts a more significant influence on proceedings.
Another player who is having a stuttering campaign is Gylfi Sigurdsson. Having been joint top scorer last term on 13 Premier League goals, he has found the net just once in the top-flight this season (via WhoScored). Only three players scored a lower match rating against Arsenal than the Icelandic midfielders’ 6.34 and he should make way for Bernard.
The Brazilian has scored three and assisted two in the Premier League this term, along with completing 1.2 dribbles per match, as per WhoScored. The 27-year-old’s pace affords Everton a more significant counter-attacking threat than Sigurdsson which may be required against Manchester United. Should Everton win, they will move to within two points of their rivals for the European places and move into the top half of the table. However, if they lose, Ancelotti’s side are at risk of being left behind.
