Everton must change attacking intent v Leicester amid 80% statistic
Everton will face a deceptively difficult challenge when they welcome Leicester City to Goodison Park on Saturday evening (5 November).
The Foxes have started to show the kind of form that everybody expects of them after a very tricky start to the season has left them in the relegation zone.
It took a moment of Kevin De Bruyne brilliance to beat Brendan Rodgers’ side in their last fixture against Manchester City and they seemed back to their usual selves in a high-pressing game.
If Leicester bring that same intensity to Merseyside for the tea-time kick-off then Frank Lampard has to change the way he sets up his Everton side to combat it.
So far this season, 80 per cent of the Toffees’ passes have been categorised as short, according to WhoScored, while only 16 per cent have been played long distance.
That stat is all well and good when a team sits back and tries to put a low block in place and there isn’t much pressure on the ball but that won’t happen against Rodgers’ side.
The midfield, in particular, is going to be hounded from the very start of the game to the very end and they might have to be bypassed at times if the Foxes get on top.
That then requires Dominic Calvert-Lewin to be at his best as a target man or Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray bombing in behind from long punts upfield.
It isn’t a tactic that will work against every team but Leicester like to be brave high up the pitch so that can leave them vulnerable in defence if Everton can attack at the right times and with the right angles.
It could well be a high-scoring game as a result and the entire defence will have to be on their absolute A-game despite what the league table might suggest.