Everton youngster Lewis Dobbin leading from front as surprising top-four Premier League statistic emerges
Everton have endured a miserable start to the new Premier League season, with the Toffees sitting in the relegation zone after four matches.
The Merseyside outfit are yet to win in the new campaign, picking up just a point following their 2-2 draw with Sheffield United on Saturday (2 September).
That stalemate at Bramall Lane came after hugely disappointing losses to Fulham, Aston Villa and Wolves, but there has at least been one positive at Goodison Park in the form of young forward Lewis Dobbin.
The 20-year-old, perhaps due to a lack of squad depth, has been handed four appearances in all competitions by Sean Dyche so far.
And despite his youth, he is doing his best to lead from the front, with the attacker registering 9.97 sprinting pressures per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season [Sky Sports, 4 September], placing him among the top-four players in this statistic.
As per the publication, a sprinting pressure is defined as an occasion when a player closes down an opponent at a sustained speed of 25 kilometres per hour or greater.
Only Tottenham star Son Heung-min (11.49), Sheffield United ace Gustavo Hamer (11.44) and former Toffees man Anthony Gordon (10.30) boast a higher figure.
It shows that the Everton youngster is keen to put in a shift when given the chance by Dyche, a characteristic that has been lacking in many other players at the club in recent years.
The Merseyside club need such energy and enthusiasm if they are to have any hope of avoiding a third successive Premier League relegation battle.
In other Everton news, the Toffees plan to reintegrate an angry player barring an unexpected late change, according to David Ornstein.