Anthony Onifade

Thu 28 September 2023 14:10, UK

On-loan Everton man Jack Harrison may have forced manager Sean Dyche into an easy transfer decision after his vintage display v Aston Villa in the EFL Cup on Wednesday 27 September.

Goals from James Garner and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s second in as many games stunned Aston Villa at Villa Park to reach the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Substitute Boubacar Kamara’s strike deflected in with seven minutes remaining to make it a nervy finish but the hosts could not find the equaliser and were punished by a flat atmosphere with vast banks of empty seats at Villa Park.

It was a particularly surprising result considering Everton’s performance at the ground last month when they were totally outplayed and cut apart by a rampant Villa side.

The result meant Dyce’s side ended Aston Villa’s five-game unbeaten streak over them and also record their second straight win and the Toffees manager will have been delighted by the performance of Leeds United loanee Jack Harrison.

The winger arrived from Elland Road over a month ago (14 August) while still recovering from a hip injury that was expected to keep him out until after the international break, and so it proved.

But after making his return to action for the Under-21s last Friday (22 September) the Englishman was apparently now fit enough to play competitively and the former Manchester City academy graduate picked up his first start since the last day of the 2022/23 campaign and looked like a player who had been starring for Everton over the course of the season so far in a vintage showing.

Everton have been crying out for a creative force on that right flank for a long while, especially after the departures of Alex Iwobi and Demarai Gray over the summer, and cooked up a tactical masterclass against Brentford at the weekend, deploying Garner in an unfamiliar wide-role which proved a stroke of genius.

However, that position certainly won’t be Garner’s for the long-term and Dyche will have been expected to keep that flank free for when Harrison returns to full fitness and the 26-year-old maestro went above and beyond to impress Dyche on his first start for Everton.

As per SofaScore, Harrison registered two key passes, one big chance created – a superb through ball for Dominic Calvert-Lewin after beating his marker with ease – won four of his total duels, 100% of his aerial duels, completed two of his crosses, won 50% of his dribbles during his 65 minutes – a performance which left Liverpool ECHO Joe Thomas ( 27 September) in awe lauding the Leeds loanee as “relentless”.

For a player making his first start in months, it was a promising and exciting showing providing fans with a glimpse of what’s to come throughout his temporary season-long loan spell at Goodison Park, though it may be a big step in forcing Dyche into a snap permanent transfer decision very soon.

In other Everton news, a condition has now emerged on Sean Dyche being sacked amid trouble behind the scenes at Goodison Park.