Jarrad Branthwaite ‘problem exposed at Everton’ after Match of the Day reveal
Everton succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday, with Jarrad Branthwaite playing a full part.
The Blues had held Pep Guardiola‘s side at bay for the majority of the contest on Saturday (19 April), but two late strikes from Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic secured victory.
David Moyes‘ side were looking to cause an upset in one of their final matches at Goodison Park but they could not get the job done on this occasion.
Everton have Branthwaite problem after City defeat
Jarrad Branthwaite has been constantly touted with a move away from the Blues after another impressive individual campaign.
However, he did not cover himself in glory against the Citizens, with James Tarkowski being forced off after 52 minutes with an injury completely altering the state of the game.
A graphic shown on Match of the Day (19 April, 23:01pm) showed that the defending Premier League champions had only recorded three shots and an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.2 before the 32-year-old left the pitch.
Without the former Burnley man, Moyes’ side allowed nine shots and an xG tally of 1.9 and conceded the two goals that swung the contest in City’s favour.
Branthwaite needs to step up in Tarkowski absence
Obviously, Man City are a very dangerous opponent, but even with the poor season that they have had, they can still cause huge problems.
The concern for Moyes will be the way that his team capitulated after Tarkowski’s departure, the likes of Branthwaite needed to step up and they failed to do so.
| Stats | Everton | Man City |
| Possession | 33 | 67 |
| Shots | 8 | 12 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 7 |
| Big chances | 1 | 3 |
The 22-year-old must now take on more responsibility and lead the backline with his usual partner potentially ruled out for the season after his latest blow.
Regardless of his intentions, whether he wants to leave or stay and forge a legacy on Merseyside, he needs to prove that he can perform without the more experienced man by his side and with sup-bar options such as Michael Keane.
The next few weeks may be critical for Branthwaite’s future either way, as if he performs well without his right-hand man that could firm up interest in his services but if he doesn’t, it may put clubs off making a move.