After 8 games so far in the new Premier League season, Everton currently boast the best defensive record in the league, conceding just 7 goals, and keeping 2 clean sheets in the process.
The blue’s defence this season is completely different to the one that played the majority of last season, with Jordan Pickford the only player to keep his starting spot. Last season’s first game of the season saw Everton face Southampton at Goodison Park, coming out 3-1 victors with goals from Richarlison, Doucoure and Calvert-Lewin. In defence, there were many changes to the defence that Frank Lampard has built and is doing so well this season.
Seamus Coleman started that day and would start the majority of the rest of the games last season at right-back, grabbing himself a goal in the process. But in January, Everton would complete the signing of Rangers teenager, Nathan Patterson. Patterson would get injured during a training session just 2 months after joining the club, leaving him unavailable for selection for the remainder of the season. Despite this setback, the Scotland international would get off to a lightning-fast start to the new campaign, becoming a mainstay in the 11, before picking up another injury setback whilst playing for Scotland.
Patterson was not the only defender signed in the January window of that season, with Ukraine international, Vitalii Mykolenko joining the club from Dynamo Kyiv, replacing Lucas Digne who would move to Aston Villa. Unlike Patterson, Mykolenko would break straight into the starting lineup, making his debut vs Hull City in the FA Cup. He, too, now finds himself with a starting place in the EFC lineup under Frank Lampard and has to be seen as one of the main reasons for Lampard’s defensive revolution.
With centre-back being one of the main positions Lampard seemed poised to improve on in the summer window, it must have not come as a surprise that his first signing of the season was James Tarkowski on a free transfer from relegated Burnley. Tarkowski was said to be on Frank Lampard’s list of targets whilst he was the manager of Chelsea, but a deal never seemed to materialise. We can only imagine his reaction when he found out he was available on a free transfer in the summer window.
Just 3 games into the current Premier League season, Everton had suffered long-term injuries to Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey and Mason Holgate. This evidently left the door open for the incoming of yet another centre-half, and with Wolverhampton Wanderers not being able to promise club captain, Conor Coady constant game time, Everton managed to sign the defender on a season-long loan. Since his debut in the blue’s loss at Villa Park, he has not missed a minute of football in the league and has become one of the first names on the team sheet. He has even bagged himself a goal in the toffee’s most recent fixture against Southampton.
Everton’s performances so far this season have not been perfect, but have been a rather large step up from what we saw last season. Does Frank Lampard deserve more credit than he is getting for his team’s recent showings?
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