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Everton analysis - Vitalii Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson prove point as Frank Lampard truth emerges

Full Everton analysis after a promising display in a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool

Nathan Patterson celebrates during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC at Goodison Park on September 3, 2022 (Image: Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Keeping it clean

For the first time this season in the Premier League, Everton have kept a clean sheet. And, those who just catch up on this game through Match Of The Day might think that's just down to Jordan Pickford.


And, let's be fair, he did have an absolutely stunning performance. Some of the saves he produced over the course of the 90 minutes were world class, not least getting a touch to Mohamed Salah's late strike to push it against the post.


He set the tone with a tremendous stop to deny Darwin Nunez in the first half to tip that effort onto the bar, and after the break denied Roberto Firmino on multiple occasions and Fabinho to make sure his side came away with a point. No wonder he allowed himself a little celebration after the late save from his Egyptian opponent, he certainly deserves all the plaudits that come his way.

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But, let's not take anything away from Everton's defenders when talking about the clean sheet. They were equally as stunning in front of their goalkeeper.

It was only down to the strong work of Vitalii Mykolenko that Salah had such a quiet game. The Ukraine international marshalled his man expertly when in what was a really difficult task to keep up throughout an entire 90 minutes.

Alongside him, James Tarkowski and Conor Coady were imperious. The leadership they bring in that area of the pitch is excellent, and the way they read the game around them is equally of that level.


At the other end of the pitch it seemed the former was winning almost every header from a set piece, while the latter was only inches away from putting Everton in front but was just ruled to be offside. Their effect on this match was undoubtedly absolutely crucial and the pair are looking like very smart signings - especially considering they arrived at Goodison Park for the combined total of £0m (not counting loan fees and signing fees but who counts that honestly?).

Then we come to Nathan Patterson, who has been very good all season but put in his best performance in a royal blue shirt in this game. Without question.

He was strong in every tackle, he was right up for the fight of a Merseyside Derby, he made smart decisions and he got himself into dangerous areas when getting forward as well. The 20-year-old might have needed to wait for his Premier League bow, but he's arguably already surpassing any expectations at this stage.


All in all, this was a brilliant defensive performance from everyone involved, and keeping clean sheets could well be a crucial part of Everton's season.

Determined debut

Evertonians will no doubt have been delighted to see Neal Maupay straight into the side for his debut. A few days later than it should have come, let's be honest, but it's not worth getting into that registering debate again.


The Blues have been crying out for a forward throughout the beginning of the campaign thanks to Dominic Calvert-Lewin's injury and it's clear by this point that Salomon Rondon is not the man to step up into that role. So to see a striker lead the line for Lampard's side was something of a novel concept.

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It wasn't an easy task for the new signing by any stretch of the imagination at Goodison Park. Essentially, if you're a striker who hasn't had any minutes so far this season, you probably don't necessarily want to be a focal point of a high-pressing attack against Liverpool in a Merseyside Derby.

Despite that, he took to the occasion very well. Maupay showed all of the energy and desire that Evertonians were desperate to see from him and managed to fashion that into a half-chance in the first half which he dragged wide.


But the link-up play was there between him and his teammates, and he was making sure to get into those dangerous areas inside the box that the hosts just haven't had throughout their opening matches of 2022/23.

Of course, there will be focus on his chance in the second half. He might himself have headed home rueing the fact he didn't slam the ball into the Gwladys Street net.

It was a bad one to miss but it shouldn't define his performance. This was a very strong display from Everton's new man and should be an exciting glimpse into the hard work he will be displaying at Goodison Park in the future.


Mood context

On the face of it, it's six games and four points for Everton to begin the campaign - with no wins to show for it and two defeats in their opening pair of matches.

On the other hand, it's also five games unbeaten in all competitions. Ok they haven't been the most exciting performances and there are four draws among that, but this is a solid run for the Blues nonetheless.


Outsiders might think that this represents a poor beginning to the campaign for Everton and there will no doubt be those who idiotically continue to think that Lampard could be nearing the sack because of it.

In reality, that couldn't be further from the truth. A draw might have objectively been a pretty fair result here, but it wouldn't have necessarily been considered a robbery if the hosts had come away with all three points.

What Evertonians can see is an identity from their side. They are more robust, more committed, fitter, more energetic and more willing to commit players forward into attacking areas.


These are the real improvements that have taken place not just over the summer, but over the course of the season with their performances. This was their best performance against the season against a very good team, even if they are somewhat out-of-form.

Context is everything, and the mood is high around Everton right now. Keep this up, and let their performances continue to evolve, and they'll be fine this term.

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