Former Everton goalkeeper Nigel Martyn has offered his thoughts on the extent to which the absence of Richarlison has malignly impacted the Toffees form.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with HITC, the 54-year-old pinpointed the attributes which he feels renders Richarlison as the pillar of Everton’s attacking success:
“His quality, his energy. He’s got that nasty side to him as well, he’s got a will to win. That’s lost a little bit.
“And he’s a goal threat. He fits into that system really, really well and without him they’ve been a little bit toothless. Calvert-Lewin benefits from having someone who can get in and around him a bit more.
“He’s probably gonna finish up second top scorer, and he’ll put his foot in. You can’t have too many players who do the pretty side of football.
“You need players who will get stuck in as well and he does that.”
The Toffees have hit a rough patch of form in recent weeks, having lost their previous three Premier League games.
In a telling statistic which is indicative of the impact of Richarlison’s absence through suspension, the Toffees have only managed two goals in their last three Premier League games, compared to the six they managed in just two games prior to his dismissal in last month’s Merseyside derby.
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Correlation does not necessarily mean causation, but the number of goals being scored – or lack thereof – coinciding with Richarlison’s absence cannot be ignored.
Fortunately, Richarlison will be in contention on November 21 when the Toffees host Fulham, with the Brazilian also having been called up by his country for international duty.
If he can stay fit and find some form with Brazil, the Toffees stand every chance of firing again.
