Everton have enjoyed a solid start to the campaign. Negativity has wended its way in over recent weeks - and understandably so - but few expect the 14th-place Premier League side to slump into the drop zone and remain there.
Of course, neither are David Moyes' team firing on all cylinders, and after a hard-fought draw at high-flying Sunderland on Monday evening, the issues relating to goals and strikers remained at the forefront.
Perhaps more concerning was the way the Toffees tapered off after the interval, almost knocked out of kilter by Granit Xhaka's deflected howitzer moments into the second half; the Black Cats were on the hunt for much of the affair thereafter.
Moyes needs to fix these problems and ensure Everton push for an elusive place in the top half. But, in order to do this, he must find solutions to the current problems.
How Moyes can solve Everton's problems
Not to be unduly pragmatic, but the data suggests Everton are headed for a mid-table Premier League finish, settled somewhere on the bottom half of the ladder.
Everton manager David Moyes
How to dissect the glaring conundrum on Moyes' desk? Between them, Beto and Thierno Barry have scored one goal in the league this season, and the slew of missed chances are piling up.
Barry will be desperate to break his duck after moving to the Hill Dickinson from Villarreal for a £27m fee in July. A smart deal for a promising attacking talent wrapped up nice and early.
Things need to improve in the final third, with Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Grealish keeping things afloat.
However, Moyes' job would be a whole lot more unstable were the defenders not playing their part. James Tarkowski has not looked his sharpest so far this term, though Jordan Pickford is as important as ever. An issue down the defensive flanks is as noisy a talking point as the one at number nine.
jordan-pickford-everton-premier-league
With Jarrad Branthwaite yet to make his seasonal bow as he recovers from a hamstring injury, the Blues' secure defence could have crumbled over the past few months, but there's been an unlikely hero who is keeping Everton away from the maw of the relegation zone.
The Everton flop saving Moyes' skin
Toward the end of the 2024/25 campaign, it looked nailed on that Michael Keane would close the door on his Everton career, drawing to a close a career on Merseyside with many ups and downs.
Everton defender Michael Keane
Keane, 32, penned a new deal at the start of the summer, and that's a move which has proved incredibly shrewd, for he has started all ten Premier League fixtures so far as Branthwaite recovers.
Once said to have "failed a succession of managers" at Goodison Park by writer Jim Keoghan, Keane looks as sharp and cultured as he ever has, really making a positive impression as the protective tissue in front of Pickford's goal. Against Sunderland, for example, Liverpool World handed him a 9/10 match rating for his defensive contribution.
Looking at how Keane has fared alongside Tarkowski, you might argue he has been the superior man. Certainly, he has been less error-strewn in his efforts than the vice-captain.
Premier League 25/26 - Tarkowski vs Keane
Stats (* per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Touches*
Accurate passes*
Chances created*
Recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Clearances*
Ground duels*
Aerial duels*
Errors made
Data via Sofascore
The significance of Keane's fine form in the rearguard cannot be understated. Branthwaite is indeed sidelined and may yet be uncleared for several months.
Imagine a world in which the Friedkin Group had opted against renewing Keane's deal, content with the options at hand. It would have been disastrous and to the detriment of Moyes' first full season back in charge.
Just look at the England international's display at the Stadium of Light. His fearlessness to make one near-the-line clearance showcased his determination and spirit, and he has been a credit to Moyes' team this year.
Michael Keane for Everton
Issues persist at right-back, and while he's imperfect in the role, Jake O'Brien has proved largely effective in an unnatural berth. Recalling him to central defence alongside Tarkowski might have had an adverse effect on the squad's fluency, not least because of the lack of options in the position.
Would it be too much to claim Keane has been the signing of the summer for the Toffees? Perhaps not, considering the circumstances. His steely displays in front of Pickford's goal might even be keeping Moyes in a job as he looks to find a successful formula to stave off any worries of yet another relegation-threatened campaign.