Everton have been handed a huge shock as they are set to be without James Rodriguez against Southampton and to further add to the misery, Richarlison is also suspended. This is the perfect opportunity for Alex Iwobi to exhibit his abilities.
The Merseyside derby has seen both the sides take collateral damage with Liverpool losing Virgil Van Dijk whereas Everton losing James Rodriguez to injury. The Colombian’s absence will be for a much shorter timeframe but could be of similar magnitude considering the kind of impact he has on the team.
Everton being without their artistic playmaker is just the tip of the iceberg of the problems Ancelotti has. The Toffees will be without the resolute leadership of Seamus Coleman with the Irishman suffering an injury keeping him out for 2-3 weeks. Richarlison received a red card for losing-his-cool and tackling Thiago.
With two of the front three out for the next game, Ancelotti will have to turn to some of the players who otherwise would be making regular appearances off the bench. Alex Iwobi could be the biggest gainer from the whole episode. Iwobi, who is yet to make a Premier League start this season could finally prove his worth.
Everton signed Alex Iwobi in the summer of 2019 for £34 million after the Toffees decided against pursuing Wilfried Zaha for £80 million. His first season at Merseyside was frustrating and underachieving but that has been the reality for many recent signings.
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From what we have seen so far, he has gone missing among others and when he gets in the zone, making dangerous runs and dribbles to evade defenders, he repeatedly keeps losing the ball in the final third. The Southampton game presents a chance to Iwobi to atone to all his previous mistakes.
The 24 year old can be a reservoir of energy, pace and imagination. He showed a glimpse of his tasty trickery in a short cameo against Liverpool. Now he can rise to the occasion against the Saints and not let the fans feel the absence of Richarlison and James Rodriguez.
Iwobi can dart in decent crosses in the box and if the cross is accurate enough it will surely find the towering figure of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Nowadays, anything going into the box is finding the head of DCL. A lot of people have criticized Iwobi for his lack of inspiring displays. He has a golden chance to win them back on his side.
Alex Iwobi has struggled for too long, its high time he lives up to his price tag and starts delivering in a team that is flourishing at the moment.