Everton: Alan Shearer and Martin Keown stunned at Jarrad Branthwaite footage v Manchester City
Alan Shearer and Martin Keown were left stunned as footage emerged of Erling Haaland and Jarrad Branthwaite’s battle for Manchester City’s second goal against Everton.
Haaland scored twice to help City see off a determined Toffees side on Saturday (10 February) and briefly move to the top of the Premier League.
Everton’s organisation and resilience had frustrated the defending champions, who had not managed a shot on target until Haaland struck on 71 minutes.
One player who was key to that defensive solidity was Branthwaite as he repeatedly made several big interventions to deny Pep Guardiola’s side but could not live with Haaland for City’s second.
Shearer and Keown shared their analysis of the footage of the goal on BBC’s Match of the Day (10 February, 13m:05sec).
Keown said: “Branthwaite has got to be red alert, Haaland is dangerous, quick and strong and his movement you have to say is excellent but when you take a look at Branthwaite, he sets his body up sideways on and he’s looking for that run.
“As Haaland starts to run the other way, I think he should turn his body shape toward Haaland, he doesn’t do it and because he doesn’t do that there’s a big gap that opens up as we run it on.
“Great ball in and this is a bigger gap now, Branthwaite feels he’s got to put the burners on, he’s running too quickly, he doesn’t slow down, and he runs into the back of Haaland and he just swats him and tucks it past Pickford.
“He’s got to learn from that, and of course, he’s up against the great man Haaland, but those are the little bits he can improve on.”
Shearer responded by saying: “I just think it’s incredible centre-forward play, he has got everything but I found that the movement and the understanding between them, I mean De Bruyne is on a different level to most people so when he gets that ball, you’re mindset as a forward is to move, get away from your marker because you know for a fact he’s going to find you.”
Jarrad Branthwaite will grow from Haaland experience
Everton have terrific a defender in their ranks that they should be looking to build their entire team around in Branthwaite and his composure and excellent defending up against Haaland for all of 70 minutes was superb.
The youngster has absolutely stunning whenever he has stepped onto the pitch for the Toffees and Saturday was just another example of that.
However, when Haaland is as hungry as he showed for that second, no defender can live with him as its proven time and time again so Branthwaite will certainly learn from that experience but he’s up against a striker living on a different planet.
Certainly, the Toffees ace got his positioning all wrong in that instance and some fans may feel he could well have knocked the ball off Haaland when he engaged but it was the Norwegian’s day on that instance. Branthwaite is just terribly unlucky.
His performances won’t have gone unnoticed by other teams around the Premier League and beyond, and it won’t be a surprise to see England manager Gareth Southgate consider him for England very soon.
What’s critical is Everton have to do everything in their power to keep him, but it will be tough as their financial fair play developments may force the Toffees’ hand, but Branthwaite is certainly on his way to future stardom.
In other Everton news, Simon Jordan and Keown have clashed live on air over Ashley Young labelling him “Peter Pan”
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