Everton’s deployment of four centre-backs in the starting line-up helped them to improve their score in a key statistic they already top the Premier League in during their 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion. The Blues looked set for defeat at the Amex Stadium after Pascal Gross fired the hosts ahead in the 73rd minute but seven minutes into additional time, substitute Beto struck to secure a deserved share of the spoils for David Moyes’ men.
Captain James Tarkowski, who found himself in the unfamiliar position of being the shortest member of an Everton defence that averaged 6ft 4in in height, remarked: “Obviously, size and presence in both boxes are massive. I thought we had loads of first contacts in their box and it’s hard for them to pick who they’re going to mark.
“If they’ve picked to mark me, I’m the smallest of the four of us. That means that there’s someone else free elsewhere.”
Figures from Comparisonator show that Everton are both contesting more aerial duels (an average of 48.08 per 90 minutes, ahead of Leeds United on 47.13 and Crystal Palace on 46.33) and winning more aerial duels (23.21, ahead of Brentford on 21 and Leeds United on 20.58) than any other Premier League club. However, these figures both went up against the Seagulls with 54 aerial duels being contested, some two more than Nottingham Forest’s 1-1 draw at home tow Crystal Palace the next day, of which Everton won 34, some 10 more than their closest challengers that weekend, Crystal Palace and Leeds United who were both on 24.
These figures also represented an improved performance in the area from the Blues with their seasonal scores giving them a 48% success rate compared to almost 63% on the Sussex coast. Just who contributed to this dominance in the air though?
In terms of aerial battles won, it was the aforementioned Tarkowski who led the way, triumphing in eight of his 10 aerial duels. All of Everton’s defenders enjoyed positive scores in such battles with Michael Keane, returning from suspension, winning six out of seven; Jake O’Brien six out of eight and Jarrad Branthwaite five out of eight.
Everton's aerial duels won figures for both last weekend (left) and the Premier League season as a whole (right)
Everton's aerial duels won figures for both last weekend (left) and the Premier League season as a whole (right)
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Elsewhere, both Idrissa Gueye, the Blues’ smallest player, and Beto both won their solitary respective aerial duels while James Garner triumphed in two out of three. Everton clearly spent much of their time looking up on the pitch against Fabian Hurzeler’s side and will now hope they’re doing the same when it comes to climbing the Premier League table.