Richard Keys cannot believe what Andy Gray has done to Beto and Everton
Richard Keys could not believe that Andy Gray snubbed Everton star Beto in his Premier League Team of the Week on Sunday.
Speaking live on beIN Sports on 2 February, the duo discussed Beto’s impact after he bagged a brace in a stunning 4-0 win over Leicester City at Goodison Park (1 February).
The Guinea-Bissau frontman could still be on his way out of England before the transfer deadline, though the Toffees may reassess after his goalscoring display helped ensure a third-straight league victory.
Gray, however, shunned him from his Team of the Week in favour of Nottingham Forest’s hat-trick hero Chris Wood, and Crystal Palace’s brace-scoring Jean-Philippe Mateta.
“I’ve left Beto out,” ex-Blue Gray admitted.
“You’re joking aren’t you?”, Keys hit back. “That is a very controversial call.”
As the duo hysterically laughed, Gray went on: “Beto has only just come back into the side and I don’t want to give him too many plaudits too early and make his head swirl.
“You can’t deny that Wood and Mateta deserve to be in it. Same again next week, [Beto], and you’re definitely in.”
Beto firing on his last Everton appearance?
It remains uncertain whether Beto will play for Everton again.
The interest from Italy – particularly Torino who had prioritised him as a target – has not gone away and the excellent display he produced on Saturday will only place him more prominently in the shop window.
A by-product of that, however, is the Toffees can slap a premium on his services for the final 24 hours before the window slams shut, and will only dispense with him if they can bring in a replacement.
Beto himself appeared open to leaving Goodison due to a lack of game time, but his opportunity has presented itself and he may now be more receptive to getting his head down and working under David Moyes.
Everton have scored 23 goals in as many games in the Premier League this season, with over a third of those having extraordinarily been netted in the past three matches.
If they are now creating more chances and new arrivals can be brought to Merseyside before the deadline, Beto could be the driving force behind an upturn in form for the rest of the season.
In other Everton news, Tony Bellew berates a “disgrace” he witnessed during the thrashing of Leicester.
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