Jarrad Branthwaite suspension cause for concern for Everton v Burnley
Jarrad Branthwaite will be absent as Everton visit Turf Moor to take on league strugglers Burnley and it could be disastrous for Sean Dyche’s side.
The 21-year-old has become a vital piece of Dyche’s puzzle this season, starting 14 of Everton’s 16 Premier League matches so far. He has formed an unbreakable partnership with veteran James Tarkowski since breaking into the side.
Branthwaite picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Chelsea last weekend, which means he will be suspended for the trip to Burnley. It could be a weakness that Vincent Kompany’s side target on Saturday, who are five points behind the Toffees.
While Tarkwoski is expected to make more of the crunching tackles out of the two, Branthwaite’s aerial ability has helped him win 66 per cent of his duels, which can be important against teams that sit back and counterattack with long balls forward. [FotMob]
Crucial to Everton’s playing style, the centre-back has tallied up 25 interceptions and 97 recoveries, dispossessing the opposition attack and helping build up the Toffees counterattack.
Although Burnley stuck to a possession-based style of play in the Championship last season, the Clarets have been restricted to an average of just 49 per cent possession during the current campaign, as per WhoScored.
Burnley have had to adapt their style for the Premier League, which could cause damage to Everton’s defence without the involvement of Branthwaite.
On paper, Everton should breeze past the Clarets. Without the 10-point deduction, Everton would be in the top half of the Premier League table, above the likes of Chelsea and Brentford.
And with three consecutive victories against Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Chelsea, Burnley should represent a huge threat. However, Burnley are in the best form of their season so far.
The Clarets have claimed four points from their last three games, with a 5-0 win over Sheffield United and a 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion, after winning once in their opening 13 matches.
And Kompany’s side will feel more confident going into the game knowing that either Michael Keane or Ben Godfrey will be filling in for Branthwaite, both of whom have played limited minutes this season.
In other Everton news, Dyche has unleashed a Premier League monster at Goodison Park as a leading Sky Sports statistic emerges.