Everton snap analysis from Chris Beesley following the 3-0 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday afternoon
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall celebrates with James Garner during Everton's win over Nottingham Forest
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall celebrates with James Garner during Everton's win over Nottingham Forest
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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall showed himself to be perhaps the best thing to come out of Nottingham since Robin Hood with a sparkling display for Everton against his home city club. Unfortunately for Nottingham folk, who have been dining out on tales of the legendary outlaw for several centuries, there is no historical evidence of his actual existence.
Something that is very real is the rich vein of form that Dewsbury-Hall – a nominee for Premier League Player of the Month for November – has been producing, and he continued that here. Unlike those staid “Sign on” chants that Forest followers again trotted out here – so much for support of the common man like their supposed fabled hero of old – Dewsbury Hall has been a breath of fresh air in recent weeks.
Having netted the winner as the Blues became the first team to triumph in a Premier League match at Old Trafford, having been reduced to 10 men, the 27-year-old produced an even more impressive strike against Newcastle United here a week ago, only for it to be overshadowed by the 4-1 scoreline as the Magpies secured a first away success of the season.
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If any good has come from Idrissa Gueye’s sending off against Manchester United, it’s the proof that Dewsbury-Hall can be an effective force and potent going forwards from a deeper starting position.
As he told this correspondent after the 1-0 win at Bournemouth: “My most natural position is a box-to-box number eight. I’ll play anywhere the manager wants me, but most of my career I’ve played as a number eight, so I feel comfortable there.”
That showed here, as Dewsbury-Hall again demonstrated that Everton don’t have to have two defensive-minded ‘sitters’ in the middle of the park.
Instead, he pulled the strings throughout and, having been denied an early goal by a deflection, got his just rewards to seal the rout.