View: Sigurdsson form could tempt Ancelotti into permanent formation change
Gylfi Sigurdsson’s return to form could tempt Carlo Ancelotti into a permanent change of tactics at Everton.
The Icelandic international has been much improved for the Toffees after playing a starring role against Chelsea.
Once again against Leicester, he lined up in a more advanced position, playing alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Sigurdsson has been used in a more traditional three-man midfield at times this season, but it has not yielded performances like the ones we have seen in recent days.
Not only has it brought the best out of the club’s record signing, but it could also prove to be the perfect foil to bring James Rodriguez back into the team.
Below, we see the average positions of the Everton players during their 2-0 win against Leicester, courtesy of WhoScored. Sigurdsson’s advanced positioning offers the Toffees a four-pronged attack and naturally pushes the 31-year-old into more dangerous positions.
With Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure behind him, Sigurdsson had more than enough defence protection to focus on the creative elements of his game.
By switching his position, Ancelotti has effectively simplified Sigurdsson’s game by removing some of his defensive duties.
As per Wyscout, he completed around 20 per cent fewer actions against Leicester and Chelsea.
On face value, this may suggest that he is not involved in the game as much, but as per WhoScored, he still completed three key passes against the Foxes – the joint-highest of any Everton player.
As per Wyscout, he also competed for fewer duels against Leicester. The lower numbers reflect his more advanced position and the streamlined approach that Ancelotti is taking with Sigurdsson.
With Rodriguez working his way back to fitness, Ancelotti could adopt a similar approach with the Colombian.
Teams have had a tendency to man-mark the former Real Madrid man when he is playing out on the right and while that may not stop in a central role, it could open up more avenues for the 29-year-old to exploit.
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