On the latest episode of the Gwlad Tidings podcast for The Athletic, Greg O’Keeffe and Paddy Boyland have been discussing the latest goings-on at the Merseyside club ahead of Sunday’s game against Liverpool, including a discussion on the partnership of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.
The Englishman and Brazilian have comfortably been Everton’s two top scorers in the Premier League so far this season, so Toffees fans will no doubt be hoping that the duo can pick up where they left off before the enforced break, starting with a strong performance against Jurgen Klopp’s title-hopefuls this weekend.
Here’s what O’Keeffe and Boyland had to say about the two attackers, and how he feels Carlo Ancelotti’s side could set up against the Reds on Sunday:
“It’s difficult, isn’t it because on one hand, we’ve just spoken about why you wouldn’t want to break up a partnership like Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison when it’s your main offensive weapon, but then I could see the benefits of playing Richarlison off the right at Goodison on Sunday.
“You still have them both on the pitch, just you’ve got an extra man in the middle when we haven’t got the ball and you don’t want Richarlison there to track back and tackle, that shouldn’t be what he’s there for, but even some of the best attacking players do that. He’s certainly got the fitness in normal times to do that and be an asset defensively, I think.”
Boyland then added his opinion on the former Watford man and where he might feature on Sunday, saying:
“In the Premier League for forwards, he’s right up there in terms of tackles, interceptions, all that kind of stuff. He does it better than just about anybody, so if you’re asking one of those two to sit in, it’s going to be Richarlison over Dominic – just allow Dominic to stay on the shoulder of the final defender, look to win the ball aerially and create a problem in behind. He needs to be the penalty-box poacher, doesn’t he? Richarlison is your best attacker, you just allow him to effectively wander wherever and do his job.”
TIF Thoughts…
Boyland’s point on Richarlison’s defensive work rate is backed up by the fact that he has averaged 2.2 tackles per game in the Premier League so far this season, which ranks him joint-second in terms of tackles in the entire Everton squad (per Whoscored). The 23-year-old has impressed in his performances in the top-flight so far this season, averaging a 7.32 rating, having contributed 10 goals and three assists (per Whoscored). It is no surprise to see Boyland and O’Keefe earmark him and Calvert-Lewin as Everton’s danger men ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside derby, therefore, as the duo have 23 Premier League goals between them so far this campaign (per Whoscored).
Do you think Everton can get anything from Sunday's derby?
Yes
No
It will be interesting to see how Ancelotti sets his team up on Sunday, and whether we could see Richarlison take on a slightly more defensive role in order to free up Calvert-Lewin, as Boyland suggests could be the case.