Timo Werner has been hungry for goals.
Timo Werner
Timo Werner has been worth every penny of the £47.5m that Chelsea paid for him. The German had quite a slow start, but ever since Chelsea started firing Werner has been vital to the blues free-scoring attack that has scored 25 goals in the league, second to only Liverpool with 26. The German was a goal-scoring machine for Leipzig, but one thing that always goes under the radar about Werner is his creative ability.
Werner currently has 4 goals and 3 assists in his 11 Premier League appearances but also averages around 0.9 key passes per game. This is a great tally for someone who’s supposed be a pure goalscorer, and 1.2 dribbles per game that shows Werner’s ability to get things done by himself if he has no support from his Chelsea teammates.
The German is also deadly in front of goal if Werner can get a one on one against Pickford or Olsen expect it to be a goal, he’s up there with the best finishers in world football and when he’s in-form he’s almost unstoppable, so it will be very difficult for the Toffees to stop Werner if he comes out hungry for goals.
How can Everton neutralise Timo Werner?
Werner is a very difficult player to pin a specific style of defence against, the German is a good dribbler and is also able to pick out a good pass, but he isn’t elite at any of these things. One thing the German is elite at is finishing, Werner, as I previously mentioned, is up there with his finishing ability so the one thing Everton need to do is try to stop Werner from getting into the box.
This may mean that Everton will have to use more of a zonal marking system, keeping the centre-backs in the box or even playing Robin Olsen to make sure Pickford doesn’t make any unnecessary risks. The Toffees could also play a defensive partnership of Godfrey and Keane.
Godfrey’s athletic ability could trouble Werner because even though not many players can catch Werner, Godfrey is the best chance that Everton have defensively to keep up with the raw pace of the German.