View: 3 tackles, 90% pass accuracy – Underrated Everton ace proved his worth v Man United
Everton played out an enthralling 3-3 draw with Manchester United on Saturday and Tom Davies played a key role in getting a point.
It was a battling display from Carlo Ancelotti’s men, showing a spirit that was missing the previous weekend against Newcastle.
We first fought back from two goals down to level and then Dominic Calvert-Lewin popped up in the dying moments to equalise once more.
Davies kept us ticking over with 90% pass accuracy, per WhoScored, the second best return of our starters behind Ben Godfrey.
Our defence let us down at times but Davies did compete with his midfield counterparts.
A return of three tackles and two interceptions (WhoScored) shows he got stuck in, and was effective in disrupting United’s attack, particularly in the second half.
The 22-year-old came out at half-time determined to put us back on track, and played a huge role in the first goal.
He burst from midfield before threading through a fine pass to Calvert-Lewin, whose saved shot fell to Abdoulaye Doucoure to tap home.
Davies showed energy throughout and his presence gave freedom to Doucoure to venture forward.
The Frenchman produced a brilliant assist for James Rodriguez to equalise after running in behind.
The pair work well together in central midfield, and in spite of Allan’s absence Ancelotti seems to have found a good balance in the middle of the park.
It will be intriguing to see if Ancelotti brings Allan straight back into the side when he is fit, as he may struggle to replace Davies.
Another stand out from the match at Old Trafford was Davies’ leadership, as he displayed remarkable composure and led by example despite being the youngest of the Everton team.
One supporter recognised that and tipped him for the captaincy, while another thinks he is underrated.
A WhoScored average rating of 6.5 shows that Davies is inconsistent, but this regular run of games is starting to produce results.
Like others, Ancelotti is having a positive influence on Davies’ game.
We hope he can replicate Saturday’s performance in our next game, as that could be key in progressing to the quarter-final of the FA Cup.
In other Everton news, Exclusive: Campbell delivers verdict on King’s Everton arrival.