In this lull of a bumper international break, we’re assessing the first five Gameweeks of the Premier League season for every club – continuing here with Everton.
Everything from line-up lessons and set-piece takers to each club’s best players for defensive contributions (DefCon) and expected goals (xG) is covered in this Half-Term Report series.
- READ MORE: The FPL half-term report: Brighton
- READ MORE: The FPL half-term report: Bournemouth
Only Chief Scout members can read these articles – but for a short time only, you can join them for free before the Gameweek 6 deadline by taking advantage of our free trial.
RESULTS SO FAR
| GW | Result | Everton’s xG | Everton’s xGC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace | 1.12 | 1.96 |
| 2 | Bournemouth 1-1 Everton | 1.84 | 2.16 |
| 3 | Everton 2-2 Man United | 1.01 | 0.69 |
| 4 | Tottenham 0-0 Everton | 1.11 | 0.69 |
| 5 | Everton 1-0 Ipswich | 2.44 | 1.44 |
Everton have made an impressive unbeaten start, winning two and drawing three of their opening five matches. They sit seventh after Gameweek 5.
After riding their luck somewhat in the first two Gameweeks, they’ve ‘won’ on xG in the last three matches.
Their best attacking performance came against Ipswich, where they generated 2.44 xG, comfortably their highest total of the season.
As is often the case with the Toffees, the biggest positives have been at the back. Everton have conceded just three times and kept three clean sheets, including shutouts in both of their last two matches.
XG/XGC RANK V OTHER TEAMS
| Total | Rank v other clubs | |
|---|---|---|
| xG | 7.52 | 11th |
| xGC | 6.94 | 8th |
The underlying numbers have been fairly solid at both ends of the pitch, with Everton ranking 11th for expected goals and eighth for expected goals conceded.
Moyes’ troops are third for xGC over the last three Gameweeks.
LINE-UP LESSONS
Everton have had a very settled backline so far. Jordan Pickford (£5.5m), James Tarkowski (£6.2m), Jarrad Branthwaite (£5.5m) and Vitaliy Mykolenko (£4.6m) have played every minute of all five matches. Moyes’ only change to the back four was enforced, indeed, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles (£4.5m) stepping in for the injured Merlin Röhl (£4.9m) in Gameweek 4. The shirt is likely his to lose now.
In midfield, Harrison Armstrong (£5.0m) and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£6.6m) have also started every game, missing just nine minutes between them. James Garner (£6.0m) almost certainly would have been an ever-present starter, too, were it not for injury affecting his early-season fitness levels.
Christian Norgaard (£4.8m) will be available after the break, so Armstrong may be on borrowed time.
Up front, Thierno Barry (£5.7m) has established himself as the first-choice striker, starting all five matches.
It’s out wide where the positions are up for grabs. Jack Grealish (£6.5m), like Garner, is almost certainly in Moyes’ first-choice XI, but match-fitness levels meant he had to wait until Gameweek 5 for his first start.
Tyrique George (£5.5m) held the left-wing spot before that, while the unconvincing Brennan Johnson (£5.9m) has started the last three on the other flank.
SET-PIECE TAKERS
| Everton | |
|---|---|
| Corners | Dewsbury-Hall (13), Garner (8), Hackney (4) |
| Crosses from free-kicks | Garner (3), Dewsbury-Hall (1), Hackney (1) |
| Shots from direct free-kicks | Garner (1) |
| Penalties | n/a |
Dewsbury-Hall has been Everton’s main corner taker, delivering 13 across the opening five Gameweeks.
Garner has also been heavily involved, taking eight corners and most of their free-kicks, while Hayden Hackney (£5.4m) – back-up in midfield – has chipped in from both.
Everton are yet to take a penalty in the league, so there’s nothing much to go on from the spot just yet after the exit of Iliman Ndiaye (£5.8m). Charly Alcaraz (£4.9m) did take one in a recent mid-season friendly but barely features in the Premier League.
