Dwight McNeil was the hero of Everton’s comeback victory over Crystal Palace to claim their first Premier League win of the season. He scored both goals in the second half, a performance that highlighted his outstanding skills in his new role.
McNeil was previously restricted mainly to the left flank but now plays as a number 10. “Me and the staff have talked about it and can we put him in? Iliman (Ndiaye) has done well enough in the wide areas to allow us more. We have the freedom to move Dwight.” Sean Dyche said.
The Everton manager added: “Anyway, in theory, as long as we can get the ball, I thought we needed a little bit better opening quality – finding the pass, finding the finish, finding the delivery, being in the middle of the pitch – that makes him more alive than he is out there.”
Dwight McNeil’s zonal action on Everton career show He played a different role.
Dwight McNeil’s impact on Everton shown through shotmap and heatmap
McNeil has already matched last season’s goal tally. Including the Carabao Cup goal, this goal was surpassed. But as Dyche said, what impressed him in this new position was his creativity. In fact, he has a better record than anyone else.
Expected assists measure the quality of chances created, and are arguably the fairest measure as they do not depend on who finishes the chance. McNeil leads the standings ahead of James Maddison, Bukayo Saka, Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Dwight McNeil has created better chances than any Premier League player.
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Everton and Crystal Palace.
The way he creates is also changing. Once seen as a simple crosser to steal the ball, he has played more through balls than anyone else in a Premier League season, just ahead of fellow playmakers Maddison and Cole Palmer in that figure.
His set-piece delivery has long been an Everton weapon. Now supporters are seeing more of what he can do when he finds himself in a good field. Dyche believes there is more to come. “He will mature into that role the more he plays there.” A transformed player.
Keys to Kulusevski’s creativity
Coming into this weekend, Tottenham’s Son Heung-min had created more chances from open play than any other player in the Premier League this season. Given their outstanding performance against Manchester United, a heavy defeat was expected at Old Trafford.
He would no doubt have been keen to convert one of the two one-on-one opportunities enjoyed by his team-mate Timo Werner. But it didn’t matter because Dejan Kulusevski created more than that. The Swede produced a sensational performance to help Tottenham beat United 3-0.
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WATCH FREE: Highlights of Tottenham’s Premier League win over Manchester United
The nine chances he created in the competition were the most by an away player since he began collecting records in Premier League games at Old Trafford more than 20 years ago. Eight of those came from open play, with Kulusevski now topping that list rather than Son Heung-min.
To get a feel for how rare a particular stat is, read the full list of times a player has created that many chances over the past decade. That only happened 12 times. He is the first Spurs player to make that many openings in eight years.
It was a privilege to witness him running through the wide spaces of that big stadium, and his ball carrying was a hallmark of the game. His success in an inside role validated Ange Postecoglou’s positive team selection that split United.
Dejan Kulusevski’s heatmap this season shows him in a different role.
Asked at the press conference how Kulusevski fit in with James Maddison, Postecoglou said: “The way we play suits their characteristics. Madders does a lot of damage with the ball and Deki does a lot with his running and good balance.”
Kulusevski has been viewed as a right winger for most of his time at Tottenham, but Brennan Johnson’s good form in that position could mark a turning point in both their careers at the club. Running inside, we are now looking at the full repertoire.
Gravenberch’s brilliant ball haul
The same can be said about Ryan Gravenberch, a player who underperformed slightly in his first season at Liverpool but is now thriving under Arne Slott. He was the player of the match once again as his side won 2–1 at Molineux to move up the table.
Watching Gravenberch up close at Molineux, his running skills stood out. His ability to get the ball past his opponents, even deep down the pitch, makes a huge difference and is a rare ability among central midfielders. The second spectral data shows just how rare it is.
When carrying the ball to his feet, Gravenberch has bypassed a total of 39 opponents so far this season. That’s not as much as Manchester City’s Mateo Kovacic, but it’s 14 times more than any other central midfielder.
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Ibrahima Konate doesn’t like how Ryan Gravenberch was Wolves’ man of the match.
“If you want a possession-based style of play and want to keep the ball in your possession for as long as possible, it always helps to have a player who is comfortable with the ball in a holding midfield position,” said Arne Slot. sky sports.
The Liverpool manager emphasized that this is not the first time, but there is more to Gravenberch’s game than this. “He is playing really well without the ball. To be honest, I was a little surprised because I know him from the Dutch league.”
Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch is leading the way for successful interceptions this season.
It’s that unusual combination that gets people so excited – carrying the ball from deep, completing 62 passes with a 92% completion rate and combining the most tackles of any Liverpool player against Wolves. This is best illustrated by his blocking.
There have been 42 goals this season, including the goal against Manchester United. No central midfielder in the Premier League has ever reached 30 goals. This is a key point of difference and a big factor in Salt’s Liverpool’s place at the top of the table.
