Everton player ratings: Manchester City (H)
Unfortunately, Mr Silva felt the need to field a team of football players tonight. It was absolutely the preferred option that he should field a weak team to ensure the outcome to benefit the greater good. Luckily, City pulled through, for football fans around the world.
Everton actually played some nice stuff in the first half, which was absolutely the wrong time to try attempt to turn up. However, no matter how well they decide to play at any given time, one set piece undoes absolutely everything, as it did once again as Aymeric Laporte nodded a header home over yet more hopeless defending.
I stand by the statement that Mr Silva will more than likely die on a set-piece shaped hill, which as tremendously unfortunate as it is, there isn’t much else that can happen if a manager is so stubborn as to not either hire a specialist to help him out, or focus even more on it in training.
Maybe he actually is, and the players are just that inept, which is the likely scenario.
Jordan Pickford - 6
A good save early in the first half but looked usually shaky in the second period.
Jonjoe Kenny - 5
Jonjoe had a good showing against the ever-dangerous Leroy Sane, but couldn’t offer much beyond quick sprints going forward.
Michael Keane - 5
Better in the air, but always looked shaky whenever City ventured forward.
Kurt Zouma - 7
Zouma is a far superior defender when pushing forward and taking his own initiative, throwing his will onto the opposition instead of languishing at the back where he invites too much pressure onto himself.
He did well tonight.
Lucas Digne - 5
A decent enough game for Digne, as quiet as it was, but none of his attacking spark was present.
Tom Davies - 8
Another excellent game from Davies who may well now be in somewhat of a purple patch. He drove forward with the ball as well as anyone has since Ross Barkley’s departure, and needs to maintain this form for the rest of the season.
André Gomes - 5
A decent game as far as his passing is concerned, but with his attacking mindest last game, it was disappointing not to see him join the attacking efforts more often.
Idrissa Gana Gueye - 4
A stupid free kick conceded marred some decent enough work for Gana in the first 45. The second half was typically as sloppy as his recent work.
Bernard - 6
Decent enough out wide with some chances created, but all of our winger corps simply needs to do more.
Theo Walcott - 4
Sloppy on the ball and not too dynamic off of it. Walcott is still an option going forward for Everton, but he should be nowhere near a side that Ademola Lookman could comfortably get in.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin - 7
A good first half especially for DCL who was physically dominating most of the City defence for large portions of the game.
He continued his good work in the second 45, ensuring the City backline could not relax on the ball.
Subs-
Gylfi Sigurdsson – 4
Slowed the game down tremendously after his introduction, as is always the case.
Richarlison – 5
Not much created, not much time to do so.
Cenk Tosun – N/A
