Everton duo Tyrique George ahead of Hill Dickinson and Jack Grealish
Everton duo Tyrique George ahead of Hill Dickinson and Jack Grealish
The Blues beat Coventry City 3-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday, earning a big win in the Premier League before the international break.
It rounded off a successful three-game period for the Toffees, which saw them beat Newcastle in both the Carabao Cup and the Premier League, before another big win ahead of the break.
David Moyes has been without Grealish in recent weeks, initially due to sickness protocols, but he has since been sidelined after a breach of club discipline rules.
There was uncertainty as to whether the winger would be fit again for Coventry, and though he was absent once more, the Englishman is now back in training at Finch Farm.
But even if Grealish puts himself back into starting contention, has George done enough to keep his spot for Everton?
Jack Grealish quip made after what Tyrique George did vs Coventry
Like Grealish, Everton re-signed George in the summer after a successful loan spell last term.
The only difference was that the Toffees made a permanent move for George, who joined on a long-term contract from Chelsea.
The winger has shown big signs of improvement this campaign, and was unfortunate not to have registered an assist for Thierno Barry's second goal against Coventry.
Match of the Day commentator Tom Gayle suggested that Grealish's presence would be an obvious boost for Everton, but revealed why George has done superbly filling in.
Gayle also made a cheeky Grealish joke.
He wrote for BBC Sport: "George was hugging the touchline, repeatedly driving at Milan van Ewijk and combining his speed with an array of footwork and body-swerving tricks.
"Despite his apparent lightweight stature, George is strong in his duels and clearly up for the physicality of the Premier League.
"Tongue firmly in cheek, I quipped as the 20-year-old was substituted, 'Jack who?'"
Gayle explained that the "reality" is that Everton have not missed Grealish because of George.
Perhaps even if Grealish were to come back and get back to his usual self, he'd still be just as vulnerable as any other player to be dropped.
George's 2025-26 stats compared vs 2026-27
Everton struck a deal worth over £20million with Chelsea for George in the summer, which was a lot of money for the recruitment team to put forward.
That's especially the case considering that they put aside a chunk of the budget to bring Grealish back to L3 on the big wages he earns.
George showed glimpses of his talent on loan last term, but the improvement is clear to see.
The youngster creates 0.93 more chances per game and wins 1.02 extra ground duels per 90 minutes than he did last term.
George also performs 1.04 extra dribbles per game, which shows how much he's improved in the final third.
That leap of faith to sign him permanently is starting to be rewarded.