Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall shares Everton dilemma with ‘exceptional’ Harrison Armstrong after win vs Crystal Palace

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was full of praise for Harrison Armstrong after Everton's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry took most of the credit, as their goals sealed the three points for the Blues.

Armstrong's performance deserves to be highlighted too, as the 19-year-old was brilliant in the middle of the park.

There had been talk that he would be sent out on loan for regular minutes, but those plans may not be on the cards anymore.

He played the full 90 minutes and bagged an assist for the opener at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

His teammate recognised that, and shared the tactical dilemma which David Moyes may face in the future.

What did Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall say about Harrison Armstrong?

Dewsbury-Hall believes that it will be difficult to take Armstrong out of the team, and raved about his quality.

The Toffees' engine room is stacked with Hayden Hackney, James Garner, Christian Norgaard, Tim Iroegbunam, the former Chelsea man and the youngster.

In quotes reported by the Liverpool Echo, Dewsbury-Hall said: “Harrison was exceptional today. He plays well beyond his years and he has that Everton spirit, which I love, and he has an engine on him, he runs all day.

“If he keeps playing like that it will be hard to take it out of the team.”

That is a glowing recommendation from one of the best players in the side, and it will do the youngster's confidence absolutely no harm.

How did Armstrong perform in Everton's opening day win?

Armstrong was exceptional as Dewsbury-Hall claimed as he completed 89 per cent of his passes, and created one chance, per Fotmob data.

The academy starlet took 55 touches in the match, made three line-breaking passes, and was fouled twice, as he looked to make an impression on Moyes.

He also managed the joint-most defensive contributions in the game, with a total of 16.

The former Preston loanee recorded two tackles, one block, one clearance, one interception and a whopping 11 recoveries.

In terms of duels, he won four of nine on the ground, for a 44 per cent success rate, and lost the only one that he contested in the air.

The future is very bright for the homegrown ace, and if he can maintain this level of performance, there is surely no way that the manager can drop him.

He has likely asserted himself as a genuine first-team option going forward, which will surely rule out a potential loan exit in the near future.