James Tarkowski importance to Everton highlighted by club-leading defensive stats
James Tarkowski has recently made the headlines for his important role in Sean Dyche’s Everton revival, but he has actually been a cut above the rest all season long.
The Toffees have conceded 30 goals from their 23 games so far this season, with summer recruits Tarkwoski and Conor Coady providing a stable and dependable centre-back partnership amidst all the chaos surrounding the club.
The former Burnley player marked his reunion with Dyche by netting the winner against league-leaders Arsenal before striking the woodwork with a header during the Merseyside Derby.
And although his offensive ability from set-pieces have improved Everton’s goal output in recent weeks, his defensive stats throughout the season are quite astonishing to read.
As revealed by The Other 14 on Twitter (Friday 24 February), Tarkowski has a total of 172 blocks and clearances this season – 27 more than the next best defender from the sides away from the typical top-six teams of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs.
The 49 blocked shots he has recorded this campaign is the highest yet again and is over triple the amount that his partner in crime, Coady, has made in the same amount of time. No other Toffees defender makes the top 20 list in the combined totals of clearances and blocked shots, but Tarkowski’s continued brilliance was clear for all to see.
The signing of the 30-year-old is now beginning to look like one of the best pieces of business the club have made in a number of years, and after signing a four-year contract at Goodison Park, there’s still plenty more to come in the future.
If and when Seamus Coleman decides to hang up the boots, Tarkowski looks to be the natural successor to the captains’ armband. Having played under Dyche before and once again looking well at home under the Englishman’s leadership, he will likely be a huge part of the club’s future going forward.
The Toffees won’t have enough attacking talent to blast teams away with countless goals in the last 15 games of the Premier League season, so the centre-back will need to be at his very best to stop them going in at the other end.
Tarkowski, Coady and Jordan Pickford will be central to any hopes that Everton have of staying in the top-flight this season.