Our picks

Duncan Ferguson faces selection headache ahead of Leicester City clash

Everton line up against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup this evening with a place in the semi-final on the line. It will be caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson’s third game in charge and possibly his last, as the speculation surrounding Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival at Goodison Park is overwhelming. In order to defeat the second-place Premier League side Ferguson has some crucial decisions to make, chief amongst which is who to select on the right side of midfield: Theo Walcott or Alex Iwobi.

The ex-Arsenal duo have been competing for a place in the starting eleven at Everton this season, with Iwobi tending to have been preferred to his older teammate. The 23-year-old has made 13 starts this season including three in the League Cup, while Walcott has been included in the starting line-up on seven occasions. Neither have had a spectacular attacking output, with Iwobi contributing just two goals and Walcott a single assist.

One aspect of his game that Iwobi has in his favour is his defensive contribution. So far this season he has helped out at the back with much greater efficiency than his teammate, making 1.3 tackles per game to the 30-year-old’s 0.5.

In possession, Iwobi is also averaging almost double the number of key passes of his English counterpart, but he is yet to register an assist. The 23-year-old is also making over double the number of passes per match and with a 17.1 per cent higher success rate. While the Nigerian international is attempting a substantially higher number of long balls, displaying he can mix up his passing range when trying to find teammates.

However, to Walcott’s credit, he is averaging more shots, 1.7 to Iwobi’s 1.3, which actually highlights Iwobi’s clinical shooting considering Walcott is yet to score this season. The younger of the duo is also dribbling around opposition players with over double the frequency of his older colleague, having averaged 1.3 dribbles per match.

Overall, the stats suggest if Ferguson wants to give his side the best chance of progressing to the semi-final, he should opt for Iwobi. The only reason he may favour Walcott is if he believes the Nigerian international requires a rest, having had more first-team action this season.

90MAAT News Now

Premier League Table

90MAAT Social Media

ScoopDragon Football News Network

Search The Site