View: Six key chances created – Sigurdsson back to his best against Chelsea
Gylfi Sigurdsson rolled back the years with a classy display for Everton in their 1-0 win over Chelsea at Goodison Park on Saturday night.
The Icelandic star has been far from his best this season, but he was influential in what turned out to be a well-deserved victory for the home side.
Prior to Saturday’s game against Chelsea, Sigurdsson had registered just a single assist in 11 Premier League appearances this season and no goals.
It was his penalty that separated the two sides at Goodison Park, with the 31-year-old looking as cool as ever from the spot against Edouard Mendy.
With no James Rodriguez to call upon against Frank Lampard’s side, there was extra emphasis on the likes of Sigurdsson to provide that creative spark that Everton would be lacking without the Colombian.
However, the Toffees did not appear to miss him. According to Squawka, six of the seven chances that Everton created came through Sigurdsson.
While initially up on the right of a midfield three, Sigurdsson pushed into more advanced positions and played right up alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin as a traditional number 10.
In what many believe to be his best position, the experienced midfielder was Everton’s Man of the Match, earning a 7.9 match rating on WhoScored.
It was comfortably Sigurdsson’s best performance of the season in an Everton shirt. The only game that comes remotely close was the 4-2 home victory against Brighton back in October, where he was given a 7.67 match rating.
You only have to go back to September to see reports from the Liverpool Echo questioning the player’s future at the club.
Earning a reported £100,000-a-week at Everton, it is easy to see why many would be unhappy with his performances this season.
However, his showing against Chelsea was a timely reminder that he could be a very important player for Ancelotti during the second half of the season, with Everton looking to get back to their best in the Premier League.
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