Gary Lineker raves at ‘mad’ Beto development he’s witnessed at Everton
Gary Lineker and Micah Richards were blown away with Beto’s recent form for Everton after his goal against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Beto netted a fourth goal in his last three games with the opener just before half-time at Selhurst Park, slotting home against the run of play after being teed up by Carlos Alcaraz on the counter-attack.
The Guinea-Bissau international has doubled his Premier League goal tally since David Moyes re-took charge at Goodison Park, stepping up to the plate as the Toffees’ only fit striker amid a spate of injuries.
With the Blues climbing up to 14th in the Premier League table, 13 points clear of the relegation zone with just 13 games left to play, Beto is fast-becoming an indispensable favourite for Evertonians.
Lineker and Richards rave over Beto after Everton developments
The quintessential ‘like a new signing’ saying is somewhat overused these days, but when it comes to Beto’s current hot-streak at Goodison, Gary Lineker and Micah Richards went one step further.
Speaking on The Rest is Football (17 February), Richards said: “What about Beto, where’s Beto come from? He’s a new player. Confidence.”
“Confidence”, Lineker replied. “Things are breaking for him, because he got himself in a position – then suddenly both the goalkeeper and the defender almost collided, left a little gap and it managed to go in.
“Whereas when things are going against you, it’d probably hit the foot of the defender or the shoulder of the goalkeeper. It’s just mad, those sorts of things.”
Beto becoming the go-to man for Everton
With Beto bang in-form and helping guide the Blues on a run of four wins in their last five, it’s no surprise to see loose balls and other 50-50 chances going exactly where the 27-year-old wants them.
Netting four times in his last three – having managed just one in the league prior to Moyes’ arrival – Beto is one of the form strikers in the division and his hefty frame is providing Everton with the perfect outlet.
Armando Broja and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s respective injuries, joining Youssef Chermiti in the treatment room, leaves Beto as Moyes’ only out-and-out option up front, and he’s absolutely relishing that role.
Other than his well-taken opener and a miss which could have cost Everton early in the second half, Beto ran himself into the ground, seeing out the full 90 minutes as the Toffees returned to winning ways.
With Calvert-Lewin and Broja in line to be back fit before the end of the season, they’ll face some task trying to displace Beto in Moyes’ starting XI – and who knows how many he’ll have scored by that time?