Everton have found their strength a week after Mikel Arteta declared set-pieces their weakness
It’s amazing how one week can change the feelings at a football club so drastically, but the mood around Everton has been lifted massively following the win over Brentford.
The Toffees ran riot at the Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday (23 August) winning 3-1 to register their first three points of the season and it couldn’t have felt more different from the Blues’ defeat to Arsenal only a week earlier.
In that game, Sean Dyche’s side had been picked apart by the Gunners, with Mikel Arteta suggesting afterwards that his side had set up to exploit Everton’s weakness at set-pieces [Daily Mirror, 18 September], by taking eight of their 11 corners short. But against Brentford, the Toffees’ weakness, also became their greatest strength.
Two goals in Saturday’s win came from long balls into the area, either directly from set-pieces or in the passage of play directly after, with James Tarkwoski nodding down to assist Abdoulaye Doucoure’s opener, before powering own a corner in the second half.
While Arsenal were able to exploit the Toffees’ physical size to their advantage at Goodison Park, Everton instead reversed the roles against Thomas Frank’s team, to show that their greater physical presence could be just as much a blessing as a curse.
During the win over Brentford, no player on either side created more chances than the four made by Everton captain Tarkowski and the former Burnley defender was dominant in the air, winning eight of the nine aerials duels he contested, both in defence and attack [Fotmob].
Given the excellent technical ability of Dwight McNeil, James Garner and Ashley Young in terms of set-piece delivery, Tarkowski’s ability to dominate the penalty area when crosses are coming in will always mean the defender is capable of creating a chance, even out of nothing.
Moreover, Dyche’s team ensured that Brentford were unable to take advantage of Arsenal’s work last week, as they only allowed the Bees to have one corner in the entire game, a far cry from the 11 they faced against Arsenal the week before.
Both Beto and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are excellent operators in their air and now Dyche has both forwards fit, it will only aid the Toffees’ threat from set-pieces. On Saturday Beto won nine of his 13 aerial duels, despite very rarely being the man aimed for from corners and free-kicks.
One win doesn’t make a season however, and you can guarantee when Everton face Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday (27 September), Unai Emery’s side will be very aware of the threat Dyche’s team pose from corners and will aim to stop them.
In other Everton news, Richard Keys has called Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s return to action “huge” after his goal against Brentford