Dragon Feeds
Answer to midfield woes? – Everton would regret if Silva doesn’t allow this 21-year-old academy ace to play often
Why Tom Davies could be the answer to Everton’s midfield woes
After a promising campaign in the Premier League last season and a summer of heavy investment this term, Everton were tipped by many to break the top-six lock and challenge for a European spot under Marco Silva.
However, three games into the season, the Toffees find themselves languishing 12th in the standings, theoretically just a point above the relegation zone.
Well, it might be too early in the season to draw any significant conclusions but even a layman would probably understand that Everton’s start to the ongoing campaign has been anything but spectacular.
Having failed to capitalise on their chances in the goalless draw against Crystal Palace in the season opener, Silva’s men scraped past Watford 1-0 in their second fixture, thanks to a solitary goal from Bernand.
However, things went horribly wrong for the Toffees this week in the Premier League, as they lost out 2-1 to newly-promoted Aston Villa away from home.
It was a woeful team performance and barring the impact made by substitutes Alex Iwobi and Moise Kean, there were hardly any positives for the manager to take from that lacklustre defeat.
To sum it up, Everton have failed to live up to the expectations in the opening few weeks of the campaign and the continuation of the club’s difficulties in front of goal certainly presents worrying signs for the fans, who would have hoped for a much better start.
The Toffees have scored only once in three games so far and they surely can’t expect to make their presence felt among the big boys in the Premier League if they continue at such a strike rate over the next few weeks.
That, however, isn’t Everton’s only problem, with Silva apparently running short of quality cover in the midfield following an unexpected injury to big-money signing Jean-Philippe Gbamin in training.
The Ivorian, who made his first Premier League start against Watford, is likely to be out for about 12 weeks after suffering a serious thigh injury.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63905738/1073998546.jpg.0.jpg)
One of the key takeaways from Everton’s loss against Villa was their lack of stability in the middle of the park.
The partnership of Andre Gomes and Morgan Schneiderlin looked completely listless, disjointed and lethargic, as the Toffees lacked any sort of energy in the midfield to cope with highly-influential players like Douglas Luiz and John McGinn last week.
Everton’s woeful performance in the midfield would surely have left the fans wondering as to how big a void the departure of Idrissa Gana Gueye has left in the club’s ranks.
The hardworking Senegalese star was one of the team’s standout performers last season and his presence was instrumental in bringing the best out of Gomes.
The Toffees signed Fabian Delph and Gbamin to cope with his departure and, while the former is expected to play a role in the coming weeks, Silva should turn his attention to academy graduate Tom Davies, who has made only a solitary substitute appearance thus far in the Premier League.
As evident from the last game, the pairing of Gomes and Schneiderlin in central midfield isn’t the best way forward for the Toffees and, while the Portuguese international is expected to retain his spot, Davies, with his energy, stamina and work-rate, could possibly bring the best out of the former Barcelona man.
Silva showed a lot of faith in the 21-year-old last season and even handed him the captain’s armband on a few occasions, meaning that the youngster is very much a part of the manager’s plans moving forward.
A burst of energy and youthful exuberance in the midfield could help the Toffees perform like a well-oiled unit when they play host to Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday and Davies’ inclusion in the starting eleven could make a world of difference.
His ability to carry the ball forward with intent and cover every blade of grass on the pitch should change the whole complexion of Everton’s midfield.
Silva will be expected to make radical changes to his eleven when Everton face Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup in midweek and Davies is likely to be one of the first names on the manager’s teamsheet for that game.
To Read More Everton News, Click Here:- Latest Everton News
Hence, the youngster needs to grab his opportunity with both hands and stake a claim for a starting role next weekend with a standout performance in the domestic cup fixture.
Arsenal Women surrendered a commanding two-goal lead at the Allianz Arena, collapsing spectacularly after dominating the first half. The defeat represents an early blow to the holders’ Champions League defense and exposes fundamental weaknesses in Renee Slegers’ side.
Defensive High Line Proved Disastrous
Arsenal’s backline held an extremely high defensive position throughout, which Bayern ruthlessly exploited during their second-half comeback. Stephanie Catley and Lottie Wubben-Moy were caught flat-footed for Alara Sehitler’s 67th-minute goal, with Bayern breaking quickly while Arsenal pushed high up the pitch.
Sehitler found herself in acres of space to clip past Daphne van Domselaar, highlighting catastrophic positioning from Arsenal’s defenders. The same defensive naivety appeared for Pernille Harder’s equalizer, with both center-backs standing off and allowing the substitute uncontested shooting space on the box edge.
Read More: Experienced Vet Wins Arsenal Women’s October Player of the Month After Breaking Goal Drought
Second-Half Tactical Capitulation
Arsenal dominated the opening 45 minutes completely, making Bayern look ordinary through high pressing and controlled possession. But Slegers failed adjusting tactically after halftime, allowing Bayern to completely dominate proceedings and turn the match around.
The manager receives a damning 4/10 rating for her inability to respond as Bayern’s momentum grew. Her substitutions failed stemming the tide, with Chloe Kelly and Frida Maanum making minimal impact. Maanum particularly disappointed by squandering a glorious opportunity with 10 minutes remaining after excellent Alessia Russo work.
Pernille Harder Continues Arsenal Curse
Harder’s 80th-minute equalizer marked her seventh goal against Arsenal following her Chelsea career. The Danish striker’s unorthodox but brilliant looping shot over Van Domselaar demonstrated her instinctive finishing ability that has consistently punished the Gunners.
Arsenal’s inability to handle Harder’s movement and shooting prowess reflects deeper issues defending against intelligent forwards who exploit space between lines. Her goal sparked Bayern’s late surge, with Glodis Viggosdottir completing the turnaround four minutes later following another Klara Buhl assist.
Arsenal Dragon
Arsenal Women Player Ratings vs. Bayern Munich: Pernille Harder Haunts Gunners as Champions Squander Two-Goal Lead
Arsenal Women surrendered a commanding two-goal advantage to lose 3-2 at the Allianz Arena, suffering a devastating Champions League defeat that threatens their title defense. Emily Fox and Mariona Caldentey established control before Bayern’s second-half onslaught overturned the deficit.
The Standout Performers:
Mariona Caldentey – 7/10 Thrashed home Arsenal’s second goal after capitalizing on dreadful Bayern defending. Shifted the ball brilliantly before unleashing an unstoppable 20-yard drive into the roof of the net.
Provided creative spark throughout, constantly threatening with technical quality whenever receiving possession.
Alessia Russo – 7/10 Deserved more for her efforts after seeing plenty of possession in dangerous areas. Forced excellent save from Mala Grohs with long-distance strike and created wonderful opportunity for Frida Maanum late on. Her attacking intent couldn’t prevent the collapse.
Emily Fox – 7/10 Opened scoring by capitalizing on goalkeeper error, heading home from close range after Beth Mead’s powerful shot.
Faced significantly more defensive work after halftime as Bayern dominated proceedings.
The Solid Showings:
Beth Mead – 6/10 Credited with assist for opener after her fierce low shot was palmed down into Fox’s path. Involved in buildup for second goal and shrugged off heavy challenge in the 50th minute. Productive evening overall.
Stina Blackstenius – 6/10 Nearly scored spectacular goal when fierce strike crashed off crossbar. Constant threat before 60th-minute substitution but couldn’t add to Arsenal’s tally.
Caitlin Foord – 6/10 Productive display cut short after hour mark when replaced by Chloe Kelly.
Katie McCabe – 6/10 Relatively quiet evening before 75th-minute substitution.
Victoria Pelova – 6/10 Covered significant ground with tireless running before replacement by Kyra Cooney-Cross.
Daphne van Domselaar – 5/10 Virtual spectator during dominant first half. Exposed completely for Alara Sehitler’s 67th-minute goal and helpless preventing Pernille Harder’s brilliant looping equalizer or Glodis Viggosdottir’s winner.
Stephanie Catley – 5/10 Caught flat-footed holding high line for Bayern’s opener. Stood off Harder disastrously for equalizer.
Lottie Wubben-Moy – 5/10 Similar struggles to defensive partner Catley. Slow closing down Harder for leveller after being caught off-guard by Bayern’s quick break.
Chloe Kelly – 5/10 Struggled making impact after 60th-minute introduction with Arsenal pinned back.
Frida Maanum – 5/10 Squandered glorious chance after excellent Russo work with 10 minutes remaining.
Renee Slegers – 4/10 Shell-shocked after watching commanding position evaporate. Failed adjusting tactically after halftime as Bayern completely dominated.
Arsenal Dragon
Dramatic Turn of Events That Led to Arsenal’s Underrated 2013 Signing, and how Fans Reacted to it Back Then
One of Arsenal’s unsung heroes in the club’s rather silent years was Spanish full-back Nacho Monreal. Any given match, the former Malaga man would give it his all. A solid player, and an even nicer man off the field.
Nacho Monreal Recently Narrated that Hilarious Morning he Signed for Arsenal
Monreal joined the club in the winter transfer window of 2013. And more recently, he narrated how dramatically things went down before he reached London to sign for the club. He told Ladbrokes in an interview:
“I was in Malaga, playing for Malaga, and I remember, I woke up, I checked the phone and I had, two phone calls from Santi Cazorla. So I was a bit surprised…So, I arrived to the training ground and I called back, Santi, ‘Santi, what’s happening? Why are you calling me so early in the morning?’
“‘Nacho, Nacho, be quick, do you want to join for Arsenal?’
“I said, ‘What?’
“‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, the club, Arsene Wenger asked me if you want to join the club.’
“I was like, ‘What, really?’
“‘Yeah, yeah, Nacho. Yeah, it’s 100% serious.’
“And I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course I want to go.’“
Monreal went on to add that it all happened so quick that he hadn’t even told his wife that he had signed for Arsenal.
Arsenal Fans Back in 2013 Had No Clue Who Nacho Monreal was
A boatload of Arsenal fans back in January 2013 didn’t have any idea about Nacho Monreal. Although, the Spaniard had been a regular in La Liga for over half a decade by then, he wasn’t popular among the Gooners.
Here are some tweets from 2013 about Monreal’s signing:
Monreal, after over 6 solid years with the club, returned to Spain to play for Real Sociedad in 2019. After three seasons, until 2022, he was a pretty regular starter. Monreal hung up his boots the same year.
- Liverpool13 years ago
Raheem Sterling Age 17 Kids 3 Women 2
- Arsenal13 years ago
Etienne Capoue To Become An Arsenal Player In Summer
- Arsenal13 years ago
Arsenal Defender Nacho Monreal Doesn’t Agree The Direction The Club Is Going.
- Arsenal13 years ago
Robin van Persie wants to move back to Arsenal
- Arsenal13 years ago
Report: Arsenal Could Sign A Striker Next Week
- Headlines13 years ago
Manchester United Preparing A (Javier Hernandez + De Gea + 55 Million) Bid For Ronaldo
- Arsenal13 years ago
Arsenal Planning To Bring In ‘Next Fabregas’
- Headlines13 years ago
Three Reasons Why Manchester United Must Sign This “Next Vidic”