Sean Dyche was unable to shake the early-season hoodoo that has plagued him throughout his Premier League career but he has steered Everton away from the danger area following the resurgence of recent fixtures.
Everton fans have been put through the wringer over the past several years but with the Friedkin Group’s takeover from Farhad Moshiri expected to be finalised by the end of the year, light, precious light, can be seen at the end of the tunnel.
Frank Lampard’s dismissal, coming up to two years ago, was the correct decision, for the Toffees had lost their way and were 19th in the Premier League when the Chelsea legend was dismissed from duties in January 2023. Dyche instilled resilience and redirected the outfit.
Last season, let’s not forget that Everton’s 15th-placed finish, 14 points above relegated Luton Town, was actually formed by the points deduction for previous financial breaches. The Merseysiders actually claimed 48 points on the pitch, technically putting them alongside Bournemouth in 12th.
There was hope that this foundation could be built on, and it is being built on. A tough summer transfer window was navigated. Things might just be looking up.
Everton's summer transfer window
Everton entered the summer market with their points deduction fresh in their mind. Further breaches were inconceivable, and so the pieces had to be moved around tactfully.
A challenging summer didn’t leave the Goodison Park side empty-handed, with Jake O’Brien shoring up the defence after signing from Lyon for £17m. Iliman Ndiaye also joined from Marseille for £15m in what has injected some crackling energy into the frontline.
The club had recognised the need for reinforcements at number nine, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin long plagued by injury problems and entering the final year of his £100k-per-week contract.
2024/25
8 (8)
2
1
2023/24
32 (26)
7
2
2022/23
17 (15)
2
1
2021/22
17 (15)
5
2
2020/21
33 (32)
16
1
2019/20
36 (30)
13
1
2018/19
35 (19)
6
2
2017/18
32 (18)
4
5
2016/17
11 (5)
1
0
It was stressful and protracted, but Everton got their man at the eleventh hour as they welcomed Armando Broja from Chelsea on a long deal with an option to make the move permanent next summer.
In midfield, Tim Iroegbunam signed for a £9m fee from Aston Villa, with Lewis Dobbin heading the other way in what has been regarded as a part of a PSR merry-go-round of deals to help some endangered Premier League outfits.
Orel Mangala was also hooked and hauled to Merseyside on a loan deal to add some further steel and dynamism to Dyche’s engine room. And it’s a good thing too, since Amadou Onana departed for Villa Park.
Why Everton sold Amadou Onana
Just over two years ago, Onana completed 72 appearances for Everton and scored four goals after signing from LOSC Lille in a deal worth £33m under Lamaprd’s management, with the Toffees beating West Ham United for his signature.
6 foot 4 and as powerful as they come, the 23-year-old was hailed by journalist Antonio Mango, who said last year that he “has all the attributes to become a midfield powerhouse”.
Indeed, as per FBref, the Belgium international ranks among the top 4% of central midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 7% for tackles made and the top 14% for aerial battles won per 90.
This summer, Everton needed to ensure the books were balanced and thus he, being one of the most profitable players on the books, was allowed to leave for Aston Villa, who paid £50m to bring him in.
Everton turned a profit of £17m, effectively replacing him with Iroegbunam, whose signing was covered by Dobbin’s departure and Mangala, who is a loanee.
In the Premier League this season, Everton have won 50.7% of their total duels contested, as per Sofascore, an infinitesimal decrease from last term’s 50.9% success rate.
Onana might have been a key factor behind last season’s success in the duel, winning a whopping 66% of his challenges across his final year as an Evertonian, with an eye-catching rate of six per game, but Everton have since compensated through the addition of Iroegbunam’s aerial prowess (83% success rate) and Mangala’s assured combativeness on the ground (58% success rate).
Let’s not forget that the Blues banked a pretty penny for the Belgian’s sale. He didn’t exactly arrive off the back of a small fee but did enough in the years since to convince Villa that his high-priced valuation was one worth meeting.
Candidly, Unai Emery’s outfit were correct: Onana has been immense so far and was hailed as “the type of character Villa need in the most challenging Emery’s position” by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell at the start of the season.
Matches (starts)
30 (23)
7 (7)
Goals
2
2
Assists
0
0
Shots (on target)*
1.0 (0.2)
0.9 (0.3)
Touches*
45.4
44.0
Pass completion
85%
90%
Key passes*
0.6
0.3
Dribbles completed*
0.4
0.6
Ball recoveries*
5.3
3.3
Tackles + interceptions*
3.1
4.2
Total duels won*
6.0 (66%)
5.6 (55%)
Even so, Everton are getting on by. Onana was hardly Dyche’s most trusted lieutenant after starting just 23 Premier League matches last season, beginning from the bench on seven occasions.
Perhaps the dismal start to the season had given rise to fears that a blunder had been made, but this Everton squad is settling into its skin and with Fulham travelling to Goodison Park in the top flight on Saturday, there’s a good chance for Dyche to lift his team even further up the table.
And in any case, he actually recorded several metrics, namely in the duel, his creativity and his ball recoveries, that he has yet to recapture in the Midlands.
A ball recovery is defined by the number of loose balls recovered by a player.
Everton are starting to climb the Premier League table and are doing so without Onana. Though, in an ideal world, he would have been kept at the club, it’s promising to see that he was sold and the recruitment strategy has planted seeds of hope, for the Merseysiders’ midfield is starting to click into gear.
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