Youssef Chermiti in 2/10 shocker – Everton player ratings v Doncaster
Everton saved their blushes after coming from 1-0 down to defeat League Two side Doncaster Rovers after goals from new signings Beto and Arnaut Danjuma led them to a 2-1 victory.
The Toffees were toothless in the first half and managed just two shots to Rovers’ nine in the opening 45 minutes. A 44th-minute opener from Joe Ironside summed up the display as Dyche made three halftime changes.
New signing Beto managed to equalise in the 73rd minute after latching onto an Abdoulaye Doucoure through-ball with a powerful run, but it was Arnaut Danjuma’s emphatic run and finish outside the penalty area in the 88th minute that sealed their progression into the third round.
Here, Goodison News rates the Everton players out of 10 for their performances in the EFL Cup second-round clash.
Jordan Pickford – 4
Pickford has only justified his relatively high score because he had plenty of chances to prove himself. With 4 saves, he was called upon when needed, but he often felt vulnerable in the box and struggled. While he may have redeemed himself in the penalty shootout, he managed four saves and two successful run-outs. [SofaScore]
Vitalii Mykolenko (Off for James Tarkowski, 75′) – 5
The Ukranian was something of a bright spot across his 75 minutes played. He held possession with much more authority than his full-back counterpart but again had issues making good passes to open up Doncaster’s defence. However, he proved decent in his defensive duties, with six tackles, one interception and three clearances.
Michael Keane – 5
While the entire backline was responsible for Doncaster’s opening goal, the centre-backs must be much more vigilant than Keane was. Ironside peeled away from his man to nod home the goal and responsibility must be shared with Keane. Like the whole side, he looked significantly better in the second half and earned successful nine aerial duels, four interceptions and one successful dribble
Ben Godfrey – 5
Another of Everton’s first-half weak spots, Godfrey too must share some blame for Doncaster’s opener. However, he grew into the game and looked much more composed after the pressure shifted to Doncaster’s goal. He moved into an advanced almost right-back position which helped the Toffees progress up the pitch and generate further chances.
Nathan Patterson (Off for Ashley Young, 45′) – 2
While finding himself in advanced positions occasionally, Patterson’s inability to maintain possession or give the ball to a teammate was ultimately why Dyche hooked him off at halftime. Doncaster excelled at reclaiming possession, and Patterson was a target. Losing possession 14 times, having no shots and making no key passes was enough for Dyche.
Amadou Onana – 6
Onana was all over the pitch in this fixture but perhaps lacked the killer pass needed to break Doncaster open earlier. Defensively, he helped prevent any further Doncaster damage with four interceptions and one clearance but was lacking in creativity like the rest of the side.
Abdoulaye Doucoure (Off for Neal Maupay, 84′) – 7
Getting himself the crucial assist for Beto’s equaliser, Doucoure helped maintain possession, while his holdup play allowed the speedy Danjuma and Beto to progress up the pitch and cause Doncaster problems. He was a rare player of quality in this tie and helped bring out the best in other players while his side struggled.
James Garner – 5
Garner looked lively in the second half, but his blunt performance in the first 45 would have been tough to take for the travelling support. He upped his game significantly in the second half and earned eight successful ground duels and eight tackles.
Lewis Dobbin (Off for Idrissa Gueye, 45′) – 3
There was a reason by Dobbin was sacrificed at halftime. While he was unimpactful and offered his side very little. he only managed eight attempted passes in the game and lost possession seven times. He was unable to maintain possession in key areas, meaning his influence was nullified.
Youssef Chermiti (Off for Beto, 45′)- 2
A shocking debut that Everton fans hope is not indicative of Chermiti’s typical quality. While the whole side looked poor in the first half, Chermiti was a ghost and was removed from play at halftime. His one bright moment was a single key pass, but 43% pass accuracy (3/7), zero shots and zero dribbles show that perhaps a bit more time is needed for the youngster.
Arnaut Danjuma – 7
After the first half, Danjuma began to come out of his shell much more. With an effort just grazing the crossbar in the second half, his hard work was finally rewarded after he flew across the face of the penalty box and launched a powerful winner for Dyche that proved to be the difference maker.
Substitutes
Beto (On for Youssef Chermiti, 45′) – 7
While he certainly looked more lively than Chermiti, Beto got a reality check on his Everton debut. He managed a few decent runs into the box and looked a cut above the rest of the side, but he will hope his new club’s fortunes change quickly. He nabbed a debut goal following a powerful run in the 73rd minute which helped turn the tide of the fixture.
Idrissa Gueye (On for Lewis Dobbin, 45′) – 7
Gueye helped contribute to almost anything good Everton produced in the second half. His persistent challenging and progressive runs gave them the spark of fight that they sorely missed in the first half, but he showed the rest of the side what it takes to come back from the jaws of defeat.
Ashley Young (On for Nathan Patterson, 45′) –
Young is no stranger to a tough away fixture with a lower-league side, and his experience proved important on the night. He proved a goal threat with a single shot on target and bombed up the wings to stretch the Doncaster defence and helped switch Dyche’s fortunes.
James Tarkowski (On for Vitalii Mykolenko, 75′) – 5
Neal Maupay (On for Abdoulaye Doucoure, 84) – 5
In other Everton news, the Toffees face a fresh twist in their hunt for a Bundesliga defender.