David Moyes praised Tyrique George after the winger was handed a rare start in Everton’s 2-0 defeat by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
George came into the side after Jack Grealish was ruled out through illness, giving the 20-year-old an opportunity less than 24 hours after Moyes had spoken about the need for Everton’s less-used players to make an impression when their chance arrived. It was a difficult afternoon for the Toffees, who were beaten by goals from Ezri Konsa and Gabriel, but George produced one of their better attacking moments before receiving a positive assessment from his manager.
Here are four things to take from Moyes’ verdict and what it could mean for George.
Moyes pleased with George’s performance
Moyes was asked about George and Jake O’Brien after the game, with both players having been brought into the starting XI at the Emirates.
“I thought they both did well today, they both played well,” Moyes told BBC Match of the Day. “I thought a lot of the players did a good job today.”
It was a significant comment for George given how few opportunities he has had to start in the Premier League. Arsenal away was hardly the easiest place to come into the side, particularly with Everton falling behind after only seven minutes, but Moyes clearly felt the winger handled the occasion well.
The manager was critical of Everton’s attacking output as a team and said afterwards that he wanted his side to create more chances. His decision to praise George individually therefore stood out despite the result.
Challenged George before the game
The timing of George’s start made the manager’s comments particularly interesting. Moyes had been asked on Friday about the limited game time of George, Tyler Dibling and Hayden Hackney. He responded by pointing to Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott and Tim Cahill as examples of players who did not necessarily become regulars immediately after joining Everton.
“My history would suggest that Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott and Tim Cahill might have had to wait a bit of time to become first-team regulars,” Moyes said. “I’m not saying these boys have to do that but hopefully they develop as well as those boys did.”
Moyes then added: “When they come on, hopefully they can show what they’re capable of.”
George did not have to wait long to put those words into practice. Grealish’s illness opened up a place in the team and Moyes turned to the youngster at the Emirates.
George showed flashes of what he can offer
Everton did not create enough against Arsenal, but George was responsible for one of their more threatening moments before half-time.
He cut inside and struck a powerful right-footed effort which was deflected behind, showing the willingness to attack his defender that Everton had been missing at times. George also had to do plenty of work without the ball as Arsenal dominated possession for long spells. There was no goal or assist to transform the afternoon into a big performance, but that was perhaps an unrealistic expectation given the opposition and the way the game developed.
What mattered more was whether George could look comfortable at this level and give Moyes a reason to use him again. The manager’s post-match comments suggest he did enough on both counts.
Newcastle could provide another opportunity
George now has to turn one encouraging performance into more minutes. Grealish has been an important part of Moyes’ side and will remain difficult to dislodge once he recovers from illness, while Brennan Johnson, Dibling and Charly Alcaraz provide further competition across the attacking positions.
Everton’s schedule could help George. Thursday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Newcastle United allows Moyes to make changes before returning to Premier League action, and George has strengthened his case for further involvement.
O’Brien finds himself in a similar position after earning praise from Moyes at Arsenal. The defender came into the side with Jarrad Branthwaite unavailable under concussion protocols and acquitted himself well enough for his manager to single him out afterwards. Moyes had challenged Everton’s fringe players to show what they could do when their opportunity arrived. George was given his chance almost immediately and, even on a disappointing afternoon for the team, appears to have taken a useful first step.
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