Iliman Ndiaye among the elite as Premier League reveal shows true brilliance at Everton
Iliman Ndiaye has been a standout performer once more for Everton this season.
The winger has come forward as a crucial player for David Moyes at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and could even lead his side to a place in European football.
The Toffees missed the forward when he went away with Senegal this winter, winning the African Cup of Nations tournament, but now he’s back, the Blues look a threat on the attack once again.
Everton want to keep a hold of Ndiaye this summer with transfer interest present, but his performances in the Premier League could see the Freidkin Group receive an irresistible offer to turn down.
Iliman Ndiaye ranks near the top for Premier League dribbling stat
Ndiaye is known for his quick feet and often breaks down defences through his dribbling ability.
With Jack Grealish possibly out until the end of the season, it’s down to the 25-year-old to keep producing magic for Moyes at the top end of the field, with striker struggles still evident.
- Ndiaye is Everton’s joint-top goalscorer in the league this season with five goals
- He hit double figures for the Toffees last campaign with 11 goals
As highlighted by Opta Analyst in the graphic below, Ndiaye is one of the most efficient in the Premier League when it comes to attempted take-ons, which result in a shot or a shooting chance.
He is in front of the median for the stat, averaging around 90 take-ons with a possible 6.5 per cent success rate, as only Jeremy Doku is ahead of the Everton star, with a clear difference.
It may seem that players like Oscar Bobb and Harvey Barnes, for example, have a better success rate, but when Ndiaye has more than doubled his attempts, his own percentage will inevitably drop and average out.
The players who are below the median for take-ons will most likely have their higher success rates lowered the more they do, meaning Ndiaye’s results are actually one of the most impressive on the graph.
Underlying numbers prove this is no surprise for Ndiaye
Ndiaye is currently on two assists in the league, but if he had a clinical striker to aim at in the box, it could be much more.
Moyes has used Beto a fair amount this campaign, while Thierno Barry is still showing signs of his raw ability in front of the goal, as the pair have scored just eight times between them in a combined 52 league games.
| Dribbles per 90 | 1.9 |
| Dribble success rate | 46% |
| Fouled per 90 | 1.3 |
| Key passes per 90 | 1.0 |
As highlighted by Sofascore, Ndiaye averages a 26 per cent dribble success rate while making a key pass per match.
He seemed to be making a strong on-field connection with Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall before ijuries and other issues halted the trio’s momentum.
Let’s just hope we can see them, and especially, Ndiaye, play at the Hill Dickinson Stadium beyond this campaign.
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