Season 2021-22 Opinion Talking Points

Returning Stars to Give Much-Needed Lift

Every team in the Premier League must try to cope with injuries through a season and it’s clear Everton found it tough going through October and November without key personnel.

But with players starting to come back off the treatment table and onto the field, things are starting to look brighter for the Toffees heading into the New Year.

Returning Trio Help See Off Gunners

Manager Rafael Benitez was at one stage forced to give regular fitness updates on Demarai Gray, Yerry Mina and Abdoulaye Doucoure and when they would be back. Everton, who are still contenders in the Premier League odds to compete for a top-six finish this season, were able to field all three in what was a superb 2-1 win over Arsenal at Goodison Park. Winless in eight matches going into the encounter with Mikel Arteta’s side, not many Premier League football tips would have been leaning towards a home win. It looked even more unlikely when the Gunners took the lead and Everton had two goals chalked off.

However, the Toffees were not discouraged and Richarlison finally got on the scoresheet, before Gray fired home a goal worthy of winning any game in the Premier League. It just showed how much Everton have missed Gray’s ability on the field, after the former Leicester City man made such an impressive start to the season. The 25-year-old seems to be rejuvenated after his brief spell in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen and the winger could still prove to be the bargain signing of the season. Reports suggested it was only £1.7million Everton paid to land the attacker and there can’t be a better bargain from over the summer window in the league right now. Meanwhile, Mina and Doucoure also played their role of course against Arsenal and the pair will be important figures for the Toffees going into the New Year.

Best Could be Yet to Come

One key player not yet mentioned for a long-awaited return is star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and his comeback could be the final piece of the puzzle for Benitez. Not seen in Everton blue since the end of August due to a thigh injury, Calvert-Lewin is approaching the end of his rehabilitation. There were hopes the England striker would be available for the start of December, with the Merseyside derby being touted as a possible game to return in. That match came and went but the hopes are Calvert-Lewin will be back firing goals in the Premier League before the end of December.

With Gray, Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison back on the same field, Benitez will finally have his main attack threats in the squad back in a starting XI. Added to that the work of Doucoure in midfield and Mina at the back, it’s easy to see why Everton went on that torrid winless run without these players all on the pitch.

Benitez will be hoping the worst of his team’s injury woes are behind them and with their top players back on the field, the side can start to look back up the Premier League table.

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