Premier League

Everton’s 2017/18 Statistical Summary

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A statistical summary of Everton’s unforgettable (for all the wrong reasons) season.

Team Stats

  • Everton have conceded 58 goals in the Premier League this season – the most since 2000/01 (59).
  • Everton have conceded 36 goals away from home in the Premier League this season – the most since 2003/04 (37).
  • Everton have scored 44 goals in the Premier League this season – the fewest since 2005/06 (34).
  • Everton have won just 3 games away from home in the Premier League this season – the fewest since 2002/03 (1).
  • Everton have scored 15 league goals in the first half this season – the fewest since 2004/05 (14).
  • Everton had just 9.4 shots per game in the Premier League this season – the second-fewest in the league (ahead of Swansea’s 8.9).
  • Everton had just 3.2 shots on target per game in the Premier League this season – the fifth-fewest in the league. The 4 teams who had fewer shots on target per game are in the bottom 6.
  • Everton made 12.1 fouls per game in the Premier League this season – more than any other team.
  • Everton made 32.3 clearances per game in the Premier League this season – more than any other team.
  • Everton blocked 4.2 shots per game in the Premier League this season – the joint-third most in the league (with Bournemouth). Burnley and Brighton blocked more shots per game (5 each).
  • Everton created 7 chances per game in the Premier League this season – the third-fewest in the league (ahead of Swansea’s 5.8 and Huddersfield’s 6.9).
  • Everton had 16.2 unsuccessful touches per game in the Premier League this season – the joint-most in the league (with Crystal Palace).
  • Everton attempted 12.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season – the second-fewest in the league (ahead of Burnley’s 9.1).
    • Everton also made the second-fewest successful dribbles per game in the Premier League this season (6.9 – ahead of Burnley’s 5.7).
  • Everton have conceded 3+ goals in a half 9 times in all competitions this season – the most since 1950/51 season when they got relegated (12 times).
  • Everton have conceded 3+ goals in 11 games in all competitions this season – exactly the same amount as in the 2015/16 season.
  • Everton have conceded 3+ goals in 8 league games this season – only one fewer than in the 2015/16 season.
  • Everton have conceded 4+ goals in 6 games in all competitions this season – the most since 1963/64 (also 6).
  • Everton have conceded 4+ goals in 5 league games this season – the most since 1984/85 (also 5).
  • Everton lost by a 3-goal margin in 3 consecutive games this season (against Tottenham, Atalanta and Manchester United in September) – only the third time in the club’s history this has happened (after November 1913 and December 1929).
  • Everton have conceded 4+ goals in successive games (against Atalanta and Southampton in November) for the first time since December 2005 (against Bolton and Aston Villa).
  • Everton fell behind in 13 consecutive games this season (from Bournemouth in September to Southampton in November) – the worst run in the club’s history.
    • That run was also part of another run where they fell behind in 18 out of 19 games (from Hajduk Split in August to Southampton in November) – the one game they didn’t fall behind in was their 3-0 win over Sunderland in the League Cup.
  • Everton’s 4-0 deficit at half-time against Arsenal in February was the first time they conceded 4 goals in the first half and were 4 goals down at half-time since December 1963 (also against Arsenal).
  • Everton’s 3-0 deficit at half-time against Manchester City in March was the first time they conceded 3 goals in the first half of a home game and were 3 goals down at half-time in a home game since against Wigan in the FA Cup in March 2013.
    • This was the first time this happened in the league since against Arsenal in August 2009.
  • Everton’s 5-2 and 5-1 defeats to Arsenal meant they have conceded 5+ goals against a team in both league meetings in a season for the first time since Manchester City in 1957/58, and only the sixth time in the club’s history.
  • Everton’s 0-0 draw against Liverpool in April was the first time there hasn’t been a single booking in a Merseyside Derby since December 1992.
  • Everton’s 3-2 win over Watford in November was the first time they came from 2-0 down to win at Goodison Park since the Great Escape against Wimbledon in May 1994.

Player Stats

  • Wayne Rooney was Everton’s highest goalscorer in the league (10) and in all competitions (11), despite not scoring (nor assisting) in his last 16 games of the season (15 in Premier League).
  • Wayne Rooney’s penalty against Liverpool in December was the first time Everton scored a penalty against Liverpool at Anfield since Wayne Clarke in December 1988.
  • Wayne Rooney missed 3 penalties this season – the most an Everton player have missed in a single season since Alan Ball in 1968/69 (also 3).
  • Wayne Rooney’s hat-trick against West Ham in November made him the first Englishman to score a hat-trick for Everton since Steve Watson against Leeds in September 2003.
    • It also made him the first Everton youth product to score a hat-trick for the Blues since David Johnson against Southampton in November 1971. (NB: Joe Royle also scored a hat-trick in this game but he scored his hat-trick goal in the 60th minute while Johnson scored his in the 85th minute, thus making Johnson the most recent hat-trick scorer.)
    • It also made him Everton’s 5th oldest ever hat-trick scorer (after Sam Chedgzoy, Jock Dodds, Louis Saha and Harry Potts).
  • Oumar Niasse had 18 shots on target in the Premier League this season – more than any other Everton player, despite making only 10 starts.
  • Oumar Niasse’s brace against Bournemouth in September made him only the 4th ever Everton substitute to score 2+ goals in a league game (after Stuart Barlow, Duncan Ferguson and Steven Naismith).
    • His brace also made him the 10th different player in the club’s history to score 2+ goals in a game as a substitute in all competitions.
  • Oumar Niasse scored 5 goals as a subsitute in all competitions this season – the joint-most ever by an Everton substitute in a single season (with Adrian Heath in 1985/86).
  • Since his January move from Arsenal, Theo Walcott made 27 successful dribbles in the Premier League – more than any other Everton player have made in the entire season.
    • Seamus Coleman, meanwhile, made the third-most (25) despite playing his first game of the season on 31st January.
  • Idrissa Gueye made 117 successful tackles in the Premier League this season – the second-most in the league (behind Wilfried Ndidi’s 138).
  • Jonjoe Kenny blocked 22 crosses in the Premier League this season – the seventh-most in the league, despite playing only 19 games.
  • Anthony Gordon’s appearance against Apollon Limassol made him the first ever Everton player to be born in the 2000s.
    • It also made him the 8th 16-year-old to play for Everton (after Joe Royle, Francis Jeffers, Wayne Rooney, James Vaughan, Jack Rodwell, Jose Baxter and Jake Bidwell).

Premier League Stats

  • Most goals – Rooney (10), Niasse (8), Tosun (5).
  • Most shots – Rooney (45), Calvert-Lewin (43), Sigurdsson (39).
  • Most shots on target – Niasse (18), Calvert-Lewin/Rooney (17).
  • Most assists – Calvert-Lewin (6), Sigurdsson/Baines/Walcott (3).
  • Most chances created – Sigurdsson (38), Rooney (34), Baines (24).
  • Most attempted dribbles – Walcott (46), Calvert-Lewin (43), Davies (37).
  • Most successful dribbles – Walcott (27), Davies (26), Coleman (25).
  • Most interceptions – Gueye (62), Schneiderlin (61), Keane (53).
  • Most clearances – Keane (206), Jagielka (177), Williams (170).
  • Most attempted tackles – Gueye (168), Schneiderlin (87), Martina (80).
  • Most successful tackles – Gueye (117), Martina (61), Schneiderlin (58).
  • Most blocks – Gueye (65), Keane (47), Sigurdsson (43).
  • Most shots blocked – Keane (28), Williams (23), Jagielka (20).
  • Highest pass accuracy (min. 10 games) – Gueye (84.7%), Schneiderlin (83.9%), Williams (80.7%).
  • Most aerials duels won – Calvert-Lewin (135), Keane (129), Jagielka (67).
  • Most amount of times dispossessed – Rooney (57), Calvert-Lewin (40), Davies (39).
  • Most unsuccessful touches – Calvert-Lewin (70), Niasse (64), Sigurdsson (53).

What’s Going On With Everton?

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Up to the middle of September, Everton fans’ hopes were high. Everton had one of their best ever league starts and it appeared that the Martinez era quickly became a thing of the past. However, since their shock League Cup defeat to Norwich, it has all gone downhill. Everton have won just once in their last 9 games in all competitions. Here are the key reasons that could explain their severe drop in form.

Slow starters

Everton have an abysmal first half record. In the Premier League season, they have scored 6 goals in the first half – 1 against Tottenham, 1 against West Brom (in added time), 3 against Middlesbrough (1 in added time) and 1 against Crystal Palace. Therefore, they haven’t scored in the first half in 9 out of 13 Premier League games this season. And this is not new. They have failed to score in 11 out of their last 13 Premier League games away from home, and in that same run, they ended up winning only twice. It gets worse. The two away games they did score in the first half came in added time.

Everton, for some reason, just can’t seem to score in the first half. Why is that? Poor finishing? Poor teamwork? Here are Everton’s first half stats.

everton-first-half-statsAs you can see, there are some stark contrasts, particularly with shots. In Everton’s first 5 games this season, half of their shots in the first half was on target. Since then, around a quarter have been on target. Also, it is fair to say that scoring just one goal out of 43 shots is shambolic.

It is evident that Everton’s poor first half is costing them dearly. Severely poor finishing has meant that other teams took advantage with good teamwork and taught Everton how it should be done.

The defence

It isn’t just poor attacking, it’s poor defending as well. Everton have given away 4 penalties this season, which is already more than or equal to the number of penalties they conceded in 8 of the previous 10 seasons. 3 of those penalties were given away by captain Phil Jagielka. It’s surprising how quickly the Everton defence have deteriorated. The defence had a very strong start and were almost faultless. But in the previous 8 games, the exact opposite happened.

The average shots on target figure has doubled, the average amount of touches in Everton’s penalty area has increased by nearly 60% and Everton have allowed 7 more crosses per game in the previous 8 games. As you can see, Everton have become more and more exposed defensively. Everton have also kept only 3 out of 13 clean sheets in the Premier League this season and conceded the first goal of the game 7 times (including 4 of their last 5 games). It isn’t any wonder that the club is in very poor form with stats like these.

Lack of young blood

One solution fans have offered was playing youngsters. Mason Holgate has already made a huge impact at the club. Despite playing only 3 games, he has 1 assist to his name and won every single tackle. His performances have been widely acclaimed but he hasn’t played a single minute since Seamus Coleman returned from injury. Holgate can play centre-back as well as right-back, so he can replace heavily-criticised Phil Jagielka.

Tom Davies is another acclaimed youngster. He has only made a few substitute appearances this season, so he made little contribution. But he’s only 18; those substitute appearances will have helped him grow as a footballer because of the first-team experience. Him partnering Idrissa Gueye could be ideal for Everton.

Another youngster is Kieran Dowell. The 19-year-old hasn’t played yet this season, however he has already played 3 times for the club and started in last season’s 3-0 win over Norwich, giving him more taste of Premier League football. He could be a good replacement for out-of-form Ross Barkley.

It isn’t just the three aforementioned players Ronald Koeman could play. Everton U23 are top of the Premier League 2, winning 7 out of their 11 games and losing only twice. They have also scored more than 2 goals per game and have conceded only 9. Other honourable mentions are summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin (who has scored 4 goals in 8 PL2 games), Jonjoe Kenny (the U23 captain) and Liam Walsh.

If need be, one or two U18s could have a go. Particularly Fraser Hornby, who has scored 10 goals in 10 games, including 4 against Stoke U18.

It’s fair to say that it’s far too soon for Hornby, but if he gets a chance in the reserves and he impresses, who’s to say he won’t be a first-team player sooner rather than later?

The manager?

It’s nearly December and fans already want Ronald Koeman to be sacked. Is there any justifiable reason? He has inherited a team that has been very low in morale and adapted to terrible tactics. It was always going to be a mammoth task for Koeman to transform the team and make them a club others hate to play against again. He has only been in charge of Everton for 13 games in the Premier League this season, earning 19 points. By comparison, he has earned one point more than Howard Kendall after his first 13 Everton games in the league, and two points fewer than Harry Catterick. So an average start doesn’t always mean impending doom.

One criticism of Koeman would be not giving youth a chance. But all in all, is his managerial performance so far sackable? It’s highly doubtful. A top 8 finish is still possible, but it’s the players who have to put more of an effort in and turn Everton’s fortunes around. Because Koeman has very limited options (until January at least).

Players Who Could Be Affected By Brexit

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On 23rd June, the British public will vote on whether to remain or leave the EU. However, if the majority votes “Leave”, what will happen in football’s perspective? Across the Premier League, the Football League and the Scottish Premier League, it is reported that over 300 players will be affected because they have an EU passport. Using the 2015/16 Premier League teams as the primary examples, around 100 players will not qualify for a work permit if Britain leaves the EU, which could result in them leaving their clubs.

Who are the players that are affected? Here is a list of them, including some big names and a couple of Everton players.

Abdoulaye Doucoure (Watford)

Adam Bogdan (Liverpool)

Adama Traore (Aston Villa)

Adrian (West Ham)

Alberto Moreno (Liverpool)

Alberto Paloschi  (Swansea)

Alexander Tettey (Norwich)

Ander Herrera (Manchester United)

Anders Lindegaard (West Brom)

Angel Rangel (Swansea)

Anthony Martial (Manchester United)

Artur Boruc (Bournemouth)

Ayoze Perez (Newcastle)

Bacary Sagna  (Manchester City)

Bafetimbi Gomis (Swansea)

Bojan (Stoke)

Carles Gil (Aston Villa)

Cedric Soares (Southampton)

Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Costel Pantilimon (Watford)

David de Gea (Manchester United)

Dimitri Payet (West Ham)

Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City)

Emre Can (Liverpool)

Erik Pieters (Stoke)

Etienne Capoue (Watford)

Fabio Borini (Sunderland)

Florian Thauvin (Newcastle)

Florin Gardos (Southampton)

Francis Coquelin (Arsenal)

Franck Tabanou (Swansea)

Gael Clichy (Manchester City)

Gerard Deulofeu (Everton)

Gianelli Imbula (Stoke)

Giedrius Arlauskis (Watford)

Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)

Ivo Pinto (Norwich)

Jakob Haugaard (Stoke)

Jan Kirchhoff (Sunderland)

Jesus Navas (Manchester City)

Joel Robles (Everton)

Jonas Olsson (West Brom)

Jordan Amavi (Aston Villa)

Jordan Veretout (Aston Villa)

Jordi Amat (Swansea)

Jordi Gomez (Sunderland)

Jores Okore (Aston Villa)

Jose Angel Crespo (Aston Villa)

Jose Fonte (Southampton)

Jose Manuel Jurado (Watford)

Joselu (Stoke)

Joshua King (Bournemouth)

Juan Mata (Manchester United)

Juanmi (Southampton)

Kevin Wimmer (Tottenham)

Kristoffer Nordfeldt (Swansea)

Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)

Leandro Bacuna (Aston Villa)

Libor Kozak (Aston Villa)

Loic Remy (Chelsea)

Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea)

Marc Muniesa (Stoke)

Marcin Wasilewski (Leicester)

Marco van Ginkel (Chelsea)

Martin Samuelsen (West Ham)

Marvin Emnes (Swansea)

Massadio Haidara (Newcastle)

Michel Vorm (Tottenham)

Morgan Schneiderlin (Manchester United)

Mousa Dembele (Tottenham)

Nacho Monreal (Arsenal)

Nathan Ake (Chelsea)

N’Golo Kante (Leicester)

Obbi Oulare (Watford)

Oriol Romeu (Southampton)

Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland)

Pedro Obiang (West Ham)

Philipp Wollscheid (Stoke)

Ritchie De Laet (Leicester)

Robert Huth (Leicester)

Samir Nasri (Manchester City)

Sebastien Pocognoli (West Brom)

Serge Gnabry (Arsenal)

Siem de Jong (Newcastle)

Simon Mignolet (Liverpool)

Steven Berghuis (Watford)

Tim Krul (Newcastle)

Tony Andreu (Norwich)

Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe (Norwich)

Virgil van Dijk (Southampton)

Vito Mannone (Sunderland)

Vurnon Anita (Newcastle)

Yoan Gouffran (Newcastle)

Yohan Benalouane (Leicester)

Younes Kaboul (Sunderland)