View: Sigurdsson shows his creative importance to Everton in defeat v Man United
He’s a player that polarises opinion at Goodison Park, but despite the nature of Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, the statistics served another reminder of Gylfi Sigurdsson’s growing influence in the Everton side.
Sigurdsson has been afforded an extended run in the Everton line-up recently, starting their previous three fixtures, coinciding with an impressive three match-winning that includes the scalps of Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal.
Still shorn of their main creative spark in the missing James Rodriguez, Sigurdsson was again handed the chances to impress as Everton looked to reach the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
It was a bright opening period for Sigurdsson before the match slipped away from him and Everton, and he struggled to assert himself in the second half, perhaps a result of a fourth start in 11 days for the 31-year-old.
Sigurdsson’s inability to keep the ball was shown in the statistic that no player from either side was dispossessed more times (4), per WhoScored.
However, according to WhoScored’s rankings, Sigurdsson was actually Everton’s highest performing player, with a score of 7.16.
With his side’s most shots (four) and crosses (four), Sigurdsson certainly couldn’t be accused of shying away from the ball.
In fact, Sigurdsson made three successful dribbles in Wednesday’s defeat, more than any player on the pitch, and gave two key passes, a statistic only Alex Iwobi could match for Everton.
He might not be as easy on the eye as Rodriguez, but Sigurdsson certainly deserves his plaudits, and the team’s recent Premier League form with him in the side should act as a timely reminder to fans that he is not yet ready to accept a permanent role on the bench.
With a packed fixture list over the festive period, Sigurdsson should get more chances to show his abilities, and don’t be surprised to see his continued influence impact the team positively.
In other Everton news, see our take on midfielder’s missed opportunity v Manchester United.