December has always been a demanding month in the Premier League but, for Everton, it has turned into a series of hard-fought battles this season. Facing tough opponents like Manchester United, Wolves, and Arsenal, the team has shown both its limitations and its resilience.

With even bigger challenges ahead, including matches against Chelsea, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth, along with the postponed Merseyside derby against Liverpool, this month promises to remain a true test of endurance. This analysis delves into Everton's last three matches, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and lessons learned.

Manchester United 4 - 0 Everton 

Everton began this stretch with a painful 4-0 loss at Old Trafford, a result that exposed significant defensive frailties. Rashford opened the scoring, followed by goals from Amad Diallo and Joshua Zirkzee, taking advantage of individual errors, particularly from Branthwaite. Although the Toffees had moments of control, their inability to convert in the final third, with Beto as the lone striker, left them without clear answers.

Despite glimpses of promise from Doucouré and Ndiaye, poor decision-making in the attacking third and costly defensive mistakes sealed Everton’s fate in a game that underscored the need for improvements across the pitch.

Everton 4 - 0 Wolves

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Back at Goodison Park, Everton delivered a brilliant performance, securing a resounding 4-0 victory over Wolves. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, returning to the starting XI, played a pivotal role in two goals later credited as own-goals by Craig Dawson. The team displayed improved coordination, led by a solid midfield partnership between Orel Mangala and Idrissa Gueye, with Ashley Young providing precision on set pieces.

The game also showcased a more organised defensive effort, with Pickford stepping up against early Wolves threats. However, doubts about finishing persisted as players like Harrison squandered clear opportunities. Nevertheless, this match highlighted Everton’s potential when balancing their lines effectively.

Arsenal 0 - 0 Everton

The goalless draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium was a testament to Everton’s discipline and defensive resilience. Led by Tarkowski and Branthwaite, with Pickford making crucial saves, the Toffees successfully frustrated Mikel Arteta’s side. Although they were outclassed in possession, their defensive organisation kept the Gunners at bay.

In attack, however, Everton offered little. Calvert-Lewin was isolated, and Ndiaye’s forays forward were easily neutralised. Despite their lack of offensive threat, the hard-earned point was a reflection of the team’s character and adaptability in challenging scenarios.

Key Takeaways from the Last Three Matches

The recent three games reveal an Everton side grappling with consistency. While their defence has proven capable of withstanding pressure, individual errors, such as Branthwaite’s against Man Utd, and a lack of finishing quality, remain critical areas to address. Although the victory over Wolves was encouraging, the team still relies too heavily on opponents’ mistakes and set pieces to generate scoring chances.

Sean Dyche’s emphasis on defensive solidity has produced mixed results. While the Arsenal draw and Wolves win highlight the potential of this approach, the heavy loss to Man Utd exposes its limitations. Moving forward, Everton must find a way to blend defensive strength with greater creativity and efficiency in the final third.

Looking Ahead

The road ahead remains challenging for Everton, with fixtures against Chelsea, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth on the horizon. While the outlook against the league’s heavyweights appears bleak, football always leaves room for surprises. The defence seems to be solidifying and, with adjustments in attack, the team could deliver better results.

Though the upcoming matches look daunting, keeping faith is essential. This Everton side has shown that it can compete and adapt – even under immense pressure. Ultimately, believing in the Toffees is not just an act of hope but an integral part of being a supporter. It’s always worth trusting the unexpected for, in football, anything is possible.

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Reader Comments (5)

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Neil Lawson
1 Posted 07/12/2024 at 12:50:18
I now read that the BBC have chosen to televise Man City v Salford City. Heaven help us. For anyone outside of Manchester (or more likely Surrey) how ridiculous is that?

All those games to choose from and we get a horribly one-sided game only chosen because of the Nevilles and Scholes etc and sentimentality.

Jerome Shields
2 Posted 24/12/2024 at 04:38:40
It seems that Dycheball suits playing against the upper-table teams. Against Man Utd, Dyche tried a more offensive style playing further forward with disastrous results. But the weakness of Dyche's team of scorers has emerged.

In the Premier League, you have to be lucky for the ball to break to a forward and him get the right connection. When a Premier League defender is not up against forward tactics that don't move him out of position, doesn't have to deal with an overlapping player, through balls and forward-like runs beyond him, defending is bread and butter. It is in front of him, consists of marking up and closing down, and pushing the defensive line up.

It also consists of more defenders available in the penalty area and the goalkeeper as an extra defender. There is no nous or tactics to exploit the extra space, which Everton don't get against lower-table clubs that play deeper and are out to pressurise in midfield.

Thankfully Dyche has now stuck with the pairing of Gueye and Managla in midfield that has made some use of the extra space, but he is still flapping about with the other trio in midfield who are part of his team of strikers rather than providing attacking support. Any attacker dependent on attacking support is not getting it or has given up looking for it.

This leaves set pieces as the main source of goals which up to now has been Dyche's strength, but even it has fallen down on the delivered ball and attacking runs not coming from static attackers.

I actually was disappointed the derby did not go ahead since I did fancy Dycheball and the team of scorers to get the breaking ball chance against their defence.

So roll on Dycheball for the remaining fixtures and hopefully Beto and Broja pull through. Though Dyche will try to persist with Calvert-Lewin doing a good job in his assigned role.

Barry Rathbone
3 Posted 24/12/2024 at 09:54:30
Personally I think results overall are par for an outfit with lower mid-table as its glass ceiling.

Losses against lesser clubs and a few surprising points against better ones is where it's at. Expansive football isn't an option – the entire squad would need changing in that respect, so we just have to suck it up.

The plus points are that, despite a lack of quality, commitment remains. A vital component the new guys will have to factor in if deciding a new manager will make a massive difference.

Because it might just do that… but not in the way some think.

Jerome Shields
4 Posted 24/12/2024 at 12:28:08
Barry @3,

Whilst there is commitment, some players are just doing what they have to do, Calvert-Lewin in particular. I also think that there are players who are not getting to play and couldn't see Dyche far enough regarding tactics and rigidity.

As you say, a new manager could make a difference, especially if he has ideas on forward support play.

I didn't think that the regime would consider change having so much to consider and sort out on the financial side, but the only club debt is to Metro Bank and they seemed to have moved at an amazing pace on that front. There is now the possibility they could hit the ground running in January.

Si Cooper
5 Posted 26/12/2024 at 18:10:00
“Football always leaves room for surprises. The defence seems to be solidifying and, with adjustments in attack, the team could deliver better results.”

It's ended up being a decent run so far but the next three league games will require top-quality performances as well in spite of the historical relative inferiority of Forest, Bournemouth and Villa.

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