Everton displayed that there is light at the end of the tunnel after claiming their third consecutive Premier League victory after seeing off high flying Southampton at Goodison Park with a hard fought 1-0 win.
It was not the prettiest of performances once again but the resilient which the Toffees displayed during the clash was admirable and all of a sudden, rather than nervously looking over their shoulders – Roberto Martinez men’s could well dream about a top half finish this season following the victory.
Here is an analysis of the performance of the Everton players on the day –
|
Player Rating |
Comment |
| Tim Howard – 8
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Howard has recovered wonderfully well over the past few weeks and his performance against Southampton was top notch. The goalkeeper made a couple of fine saves throughout the match to keep the clean sheet and his save during the early stages of the match to deny Graziano Pelle was simply sensational. |
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Seamus Coleman – 6.5
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Coleman did not have his usual influence in attack but it has to be said that he did defend well against the likes of Ejero Elia and Sadio Mane.
However on a personal level, the Irishman would surely be looking to improve in the coming weeks. |
| Phil Jagielka – 8.5
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Jagielka scored the only goal of the game with a well taken finish early on in the first half but more impressively, his performance at the back was faultless. The England international dealt with the threat posed by the duo of Graziano Pelle and Shane Long without breaking a sweat and overall, it was a near perfect performance. |
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John Stones – 7.5
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Stones is certainly improving in the presence of Jagielka and it was another very solid performance from the young man.
The defender was calm as ever on the ball and he did not flinch despite the prospect of coming up against the physically imposing Pelle. |
| Leighton Baines – 7
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After a shaky past few weeks, it was a solid performance from Baines from the left back position. The England international got forward at every opportunity and did well to limit the Southampton attack. |
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Aaron Lennon – 6.5
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Although not as dangerous as he has looked during the past few weeks, it was a decent performance from Aaron Lennon. The winger caused Ryan Bertrand problems and overall, he had an important contribution in Everton’s victory. |
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Gareth Barry – 7.5
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Gareth Barry had a tough job on his hands to replace the impressive Darron Gibson at the middle of the park and he seamlessly fitted in by putting in a fine display.
The veteran midfielder looks to have been reinvigorated following his suspension and his display was top notch. |
| James McCarthy – 7
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McCarthy came in for a lot of criticism for his performances for the Republic of Ireland national team but he managed to shrug it off by putting in a solid display. Not particularly spectacular, McCarthy kept things ticking along and was tidy as ever in possession. |
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Leon Osman – 7
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Osman continued his extended run in the Everton first team and he certainly justified it with another very good display.
The veteran attacking midfielder seems to provide balance in the Everton midfield and his experience has proven vital in the Toffees’ renaissance. |
| Ross Barkley – 6
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Barkley made a couple of wonderful runs from midfield but he could not marry it with a finish. The midfielder was hauled off with 20 minutes to go and there is certainly a lot of room for improvement. |
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Arouna Kone – 7
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Started ahead of Romelu Lukaku on the day and it was a good performance from the Ivory Coast international. Made a couple of fine runs and it was unfortunate that he did not receive enough support from his midfielders. |
Substitutes
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Muhamed Besic – 6
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Besic came on during the final intervals of the clash and did well to negate the threat of the Southampton attack. |
| Steven Naismith – 6
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Naismith came on for Arouna Kone and provided the much needed energy to the side. |
