Everton managed to reveal a layer of attacking quality in midweek, defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 in the Premier League.
It was the perfect fuel for Sean Dyche’s side to send the Toffees fanbase into rapture, with Liverpool travelling the less-than-a-mile distance from Anfield for the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
Storm Darragh had other plans. Howling winds and lashing rain precluded the match from taking place, with Saturday morning bringing about the dreaded news that the contest had indeed been called off.
It’s certainly frustrating, for Everton have entered a good moment and were ready to take on a Liverpool side contending with a host of injuries. Dyche was given a glimpse of attacking quality that has scarcely been on show throughout the term.
To be sure, the Blue Merseysiders need more from their frontal members.
Everton's attacking failures
Dyche has got a task on his hands to overturn the misery that has threatened his place in the Everton dugout. The Toffees might have earned a reprieve through their statement victory against Wolves but consistency has been lacking and that needs to change.
14th
Ipswich Town
23
14=
Newcastle United
23
14=
Nottingham Forest
23
14=
Nottingham Forest
23
18th
West Ham United
22
19th
Southampton
20
20th
Everton
19
While it’s true that Dyche has been let down by his forwards, namely Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has failed to register a direct goal contribution across his past nine Premier League outings, creativity has been negligible, with the Blues indeed the division’s bottom-placed side when it comes to creating chances.
Pretty damning – let’s hope the Wolves victory doesn’t prove to be a lonely outlier. Whether the club will have the financial power to strengthen in January remains to be seen, but they could certainly do with the booster.
Hindsight’s a wonderful thing, but it’s also a useless thing. Even so, it’s a real shame, in hindsight, that Everton allowed Ademola Lookman to leave at the start of his career.
His dynamic qualities would be perfect for Dyche’s team.
Why Everton sold Ademola Lookman
Everton were the team that gave Lookman his first opportunity at the highest level, signing him from Charlton Athletic for an £11m fee in January 2017, when he was aged only 19.
Though he is now regarded as a top-class player, the versatile winger failed to establish himself with the Toffees, totalling just four goals across 48 appearances before being sold to RB Leipzig in 2019 in a deal worth £22.5m.
While Everton succeeded in turning a profit for their fringe prospect, it’s rather poignant to watch him do so well now, having finished 14th on the Men’s Ballon d’Or rankings after an incredible year with Serie A side Atalanta.
Aged 27, Lookman is established and ensconced in the prime of his career, and given that Atalanta wanted €70m (£59m) for their dynamic star this summer when high-ranked outfits such as Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain were circling, Farhad Moshiri and co must surely feel a little bit rueful, having let a potential blinder slip through their fingers.
Ademola Lookman's performances in 2024/25
Lookman achieved continental acclaim at the final stage of the 2023/24 campaign, blasting in a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen to claim the Europa League crown.
He’s continued to make headway this year, having posted ten goals and five assists across 17 matches in all competitions, very much backing up the praise that he is Piero Gian Gasperini’s “superstar” – so journalist Sean Walsh has said.
As per FBref, Lookman ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 7% for assists and shot-creating actions and the top 16% for progressive carries per 90, denoting elite-level potency and an effective ball-carrying quality that shapes him into the complete package.
As you can see, he’s not just a one-trick pony, emerging to spearhead Atalanta’s trophy-lifting triumph. No, Lookman has found a stunning vein of consistency in the final third over the past several years and is now reaping the rewards of his hard labours.
FBref record the Nigeria international to be an exceptionally prolific force, but perhaps more curious is the fact that he has been compared to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Jamal Musiala as a result.
Two heavyweights, Saka and Musiala set the gold standard in the Premier League and Bundesliga respectively, with the pairing considered to be among the most valuable players in the world, as per the CIES Football Observatory.
Goals scored
0.76
0.49
0.45
Assists
0.38
0.36
0.18
Shots taken
3.32
3.39
3.49
Shot-creating actions
5.71
5.68
5.57
Progressive passes
3.98
3.70
5.45
Progressive carries
5.09
4.98
5.15
Successful take-ons
1.97
1.62
3.91
Ball recoveries
4.08
4.37
4.24
Whether Lookman is actually at the same level as a player such as Saka is debatable; the Arsenal sensation is arguably the best right winger in the world right now, barring maybe Mohamed Salah and Barcelona’s Raphinha.
But it’s still a mark of his prowess and a frustrating reminder to Everton that they let him go before he had time to nurture his natural-born talents and bloom.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
While a player like Lookman would be a welcome addition to Dyche’s cause right now, let’s hope that the Toffees have learnt from their past mistakes and ensure that the up-and-coming stars of the present day are allowed to rise to the fore over the coming years.
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