Everton registered their first win in nine Premier League games
Everton triumphed over Arsenal on Monday night, putting an end to the winless streak but did suffer some damage in the form of injury to Yerry Mina. When the lineups came out, there was an unfamiliar absentee, Lucas Digne. Reports have been circulating of a fallout between the player and the manager Rafa Benitez. The injury to Mina and the situation of Digne could pave way for Mason Holgate to step up in the team.
Everton were on a miserable run of form before the Arsenal game. There was fan unrest, anger towards the club hierarchy and the management. People were irked with Rafa Benitez, who was already walking on a tight rope since he decided to travel across Stanley Park.
A day before the game, Everton announced that Marcel Brands had left his position as Director of Football, making it clear that Benitez had the full backing of Farhad Moshiri and it was Brands who was the scapegoat. Was he the only person responsible for the mess and imbalance created? No.
The supporters had planned a 27th minute walkout as a symbol of resistance for the years of mismanagement and instability at the club. The dreary form multiplied the fan rage and powerful performance was needed at Goodison or the most ardent supporters would also start losing hope.
Everton defender Yerry Mina suffered another injury while Lucas Digne was left out of the squad
Everton received an injury boost as Mina returned to the side after missing seven games, last appearing before the October international break. Mina has had perilous encounters with injuries. Ever since he joined Everton from Barcelona, the Colombian has missed 38 games for the club. He has been a top performer at times but his injury record casts major doubts.
Benitez said that Mina trained with the group ahead of the Arsenal tie and he would be assessed before the game and if he’s fit, there’s a good chance he would feature. His return to the pitch lasted only for 31 minutes as he picked up a calf injury. After the game, the Spanish manager stated that he wasn’t forced early into the team.
"He has a problem with his calf, not with his hamstring. So it is something different. There are some players who we know are injury prone. We saw he was fine, he was training well, he was ready. If you told me he had a calf problem then he would not have been ready but he was doing everything, he was training really well during the week. In this case we were 100% sure he was ready and this is another type of injury. (via Liverpool ECHO)"
The time frame is not revealed yet but the Colombian could be out for a few weeks which could be a huge blow ahead of the jam-packed festive fixtures.
Left back Digne had been an integral part of the squad and rarely missed a game if not forced due to injury. His absence posed a different worry before Benitez made a blunt admission as th Frenchman’s omission was not due to the injury.
The former Barcelona defender has been Everton’s top player in the Moshiri era but his recent displays have been dull, an embodiment of the team’s performance. As per Daily Mail, Digne had a fall out with the manager as the duo had an argument and the relationship between the player and manager was straining further.
It is unclear whether the 28 year old will return to the lineup for the Crystal Palace game but with Digne not being selected, Ben Godfrey could operate from the left back. The former Norwich City man did a fine job against the Gunners.
Mason Holgate has slipped down the pecking order in Everton defence
The fallout with Digne and the calf injury to Mina paves the way for Holgate. The former Barnsley man has been under firing and has slipped down the pecking order as a result of a string of poor displays.
However, in the game against Arsenal, the Englishman bounced back with a strong performance alongside Michael Keane. Coming on for Mina in the 31st minute, Holgate looked in control and maintained his tempo throughout the game. He did commit a couple of mistakes in the second half but Everton managed to survive such scares and emerged victorious in the game.
Defensively, he was robust, winning nine aerial duels out of ten, miles ahead of Takehiro Tomiyasu who had won the second highest aerial duels (five) that evening. The 25 year old made four recoveries and an important interception. Holgate also won ten ground duels, made four clearances and managed 18 passes to complete a well rounded display.
If Digne is dropped and his future remains up in the air, Godfrey will slot into the left back role. With Mina injured, Holgate could be handed a golden opportunity to win back the support of the fans and impress Benitez.
The Englishman was seen as a hearty defender with outstanding abilities, some even labeling him as the next ‘John Stones’ because of the Barnsley connection but over the last season, his confidence has diminished. This is a tailor-made opportunity for the defender to rack up solid performances and regain his confidence. If he fails to do so, he could soon be seen as expendable.
Will Mason Holgate step up for Everton?