Everton 3 Leeds 0: Five ways Toffees lifted the Goodison gloom

Goodison Park was a cauldron of noise as Everton beat Leeds United 3-0 on Saturday afternoon. It was a crucial victory and one that was won on and off the pitch.

A number of Everton fan groups had called for the fans to get in as early as possible, bring flags and banners and create an atmosphere that would not only lift a fragile Everton side, but also intimidate a Leeds side missing key players.

Of course Everton were missing key players too, Yerry Mina, Demarai Gray and a still sidelined by Covid regulations Vitaliy Mykolenko were not available to add to the injury/missing list from previous weeks. This meant defensively Frank Lampard had to make key decisions.

As we had already discussed earlier in the week Lampard had to go to a flat back four to match Leeds tactically. That meant someone would have to play out of position at left back and Lampard went for JonJoe Kenny with the other starting back three retaining there places minus the injured Mina.

Donny Van De Beek came in for Andre Gomes in midfield and Dominic Calvert-Lewin returned to the starting line up to replace Gray. Also maybe surprisingly Alex Iwobi was the one chosen to add attacking numbers in place of Andros Townsend who had a disappointing night at left wing back on Tuesday night at Newcastle.

Leeds kept the same side that had played in the thrilling six goal draw at Villa Park on Wednesday night.

Aside from the brilliant crowd atmosphere at Goodison, which we will look at also, how did Everton and Lampard get not only this important victory, but by such a convincing margin also.

Great performances from previously low on confidence players, the introduction of Van De Beek, Anthony Gordon showing his versatility and hunger and how the backroom staff tweaked attacking set pieces to get that crucial second goal.

Let’s start, as football should always do so, with those fans…

Fans initiative pays dividend in giving Everton early advantage

1. Goodison crowd creates an early assist

During the week, post the Newcastle horror show, a show of unity from a number of key Everton fan groups started to stir and by pre kick off at Goodison had become a full on cauldron of noise and fanaticism.

What did they do exactly to change this into a ferocious bear pit that Goodison only usually sees when the neighbours, either across the park or down the M62, are in town?

Simple, a collective call out to all Evertonians who would be in attendance against Leeds to bring a flag or a banner, get in the ground early and scream the house down for 90 minutes. Even the concourse was ‘back to normal’ pre match as you can see below!

And they did, maybe not all of those and every single Evertonian, but the majority brought into the call out. Did anyone see a Toffee tower in the sky over the Mersey? After witnessing that atmosphere that was what it seemed like.

The fans knew they needed this result against Leeds, desperately too. The Newcastle result had seen Everton slip into the relegation dogfight and the Evertonians knew they would have to get themselves involved to help Lampard and the players.

Many commentators at the game said this was Goodison at it’s raucous best, it caused Leeds to question their own game and cause hesitancy in their normal high octane play.

Fortunately for Lampard and Everton it had the exact effect required, a pulsating, intense high press straight away but with skill and a plan implemented by Lampard and his staff.

The atmosphere continued all the way through the game and not a home fan had left when the final whistle witnessed joyous scenes.

The war still has to be seen out, but this battle, and any future battle in these four corners of L4, will be remembered for Evertonians being proud to shout and fight for their team once more.

Out of favour players deliver inspirational performances

2. Iwobi and Kenny

The two surprises that Lampard sprung in his line up would normally deliver dread and fear into the Everton fans. But as we have just explained, things were a little different at Goodison Park against Leeds on Saturday.

We all knew someone would have to cover at left back and Lampard chose this to be Kenny, not a massive surprise with the managers admission that Nathan Patterson is still adjusting to getting involved with the first team.

However against Leeds this would mean the task of tackling and shackling the dangerman Raphinha on Leeds’ right hand side. This is more dangerous with Luke Ayling overlapping from behind.

From minute one with the crowd possessed to will an Everton tackle, never mind a goal, this suited Kenny’s all action defensive play. Against Aston Villa three weeks ago Kenny was abject and conservative in his forward movements especially. Here in the first ten minutes he had already visited the Leeds byline and been in the opposition half more than he did against Villa.

Tactically I think Kenny is suited to a wing back role better than a normal full back role and in the first half with Everton pushed up he was playing more in this type of role. Also if Kenny is given a specific role like shackling Raphinha then he does apply himself more. Against Villa he looked a bit lost as they only play the full backs in a wide role.

Kenny hassled, tackled, got involved in the forward play and even roamed into midfield at one point with the ball. It was an all action display and one worthy of Lampard entrusting him with this key role.

Iwobi was even more of a surprise on the team sheet at 2pm, most would have thought Lampard would stick with Townsend in a more forward role than Tuesday or play Dele Alli in an inside forward role.

Iwobi last started a Premier League in December and in a game at Wolves in November he was woeful despite getting Everton’s goal, hence why Gordon has had a great opportunity to show what he can do.

At the African Nations Cup, which Iwobi was away for most of the last month, hardly helped his confidence with not much football time and then a sending off which cost Nigeria in the Last 16 game as they went out.

However with Lampard at the helm and more front foot positive football, unlike under Rafa Benitez and to an extent Carlo Ancelotti, Iwobi actually revelled in a more free role down the right but able to move inside at will.

Everton fans would question his work rate however, not in this game, but why he couldn’t produce that in previous games.

He worked and ran as much as anyone, created chances and produced more tackles than I can ever remember in an Everton shirt. Even a late tackle and a yellow card was cheered by the crowd as it was nearing the end of the game and showed desire to break up a possible Leeds breakaway.

Linking up with the forwards in front and pivoting play with Van De Beek and Allan in midfield, Iwobi was key to this victory. Also his hold up play enabled play to develop and give time to Seamus Coleman to join the attack and get the all important first goal.

Iwobi’s stats were by far the best he has produced for Everton, which are in the tweet below:

For both Iwobi and Kenny it is a massive shot of confidence for them and brings them into contention to assist the fight to stay up for the rest of the season.

Certainly, even with other players fit again soon on this form, they would be trusted more with say a start in the Quarter-Final of the FA Cup against Boreham Wood, than you would have thought a month ago.

Credit to them both for getting into the spirit of the occasion and Lampard’s instructions. They have set a bar for future performances now, if they can keep this up then maybe they have a future at Goodison Park.

New loan signing shows how important he can be

3. Van De Beek shows his class

There is no doubt Van De Beek is a classy footballer and we witnessed at Goodison Park why he was very sought after when Ajax granted onlookers a fee to work with back in the summer of 2019. Manchester United thought enough of the Dutch international to pay up to £40 million pounds for his services.

Since then, and especially because United went and got Bruno Fernandes in the next transfer window, he has been constantly warming the bench at Old Trafford.

Fortunately for Everton fans one of the first tasks Lampard undertook when he knew he had the job was to call Van De Beek and insist he join Everton on loan until the end of the season.

Everton fans got to see against Leeds how crucial that phone call could turn out to be. As you can see below he produced a man of the match performance:

Van De Beek produced a calm, quality and assured performance alongside Allan in the Everton midfield. He never stayed still and one would almost had thought Mikel Arteta had strolled back in his prime such was the level of his passing and control of the game.

Earlier in the week we reported how important pivoting around Leeds press would be and thankfully Lampard thought the same by picking Van De Beek. From the kick off he was prompting play, passing to every Everton player in the first few minutes and being instrumental in the first Everton goal for Coleman.

It is exactly the type of midfield performance Evertonians had been missing since Arteta left over a decade ago. In the style of a Cesc Fabregas or David Silva, Van De Beek does not have one role. He passes smoothly and often positively forward, covers others if they go beyond, loves to get in to the opposition’s penalty box and can put a tackle in too.

It was a crucial link that enabled Everton to keep the pressure on Leeds throughout the first half and even when Leeds got some territorial advantage in the second half, Van De Beek would with such comfort put Everton into attacking situations with simple and progressive passes.

Van De Beek’s link up for the first goal shows the work Lampard has done in two weeks to integrate his new signings and also change the style of Everton’s play. It is no longer rigid, players are fluid, always moving and looking for someone in a better position.

There should be no danger of Van De Beek losing his place for the rest of the season, that is how good he was today. All of his teammates enjoyed playing with him, you could just tell the classy and silky Dutchman will be crucial for Everton’s survival.

As Manchester United slipped to another disappointing result at home to Southampton, it is ironic the same opponent awaits Everton next week. Another display of this level and United will have plenty of suitors in the summer for Van De Beek, including Lampard and Everton no doubt!

Anthony Gordon is fast becoming Everton’s iconic wonderkid

4. Gordon is now impossible to drop

It is now becoming a regular ritual around Goodison Park, Anthony Gordon’s number comes up on the subs board, the home crowd rise as one and chant his name.

Once again against Leeds on Saturday Gordon had that happen to him, and quite rightly to. His performance again was outstanding, energetic, willing to do anything, chasing any Leeds player with the ball and linking up positively with all around him.

A goal, somewhat fortuitously, and an assist also meant Gordon is now getting end product to his full on and intense displays. Earlier in the season he was keen and producing good performances but with a lack of end result. As Everton’s predicament has got worse over the last few months Gordon has been the teams most consistent player.

Even taking on the task as the main set piece taker shows how important Lampard and his staff believe Gordon is to Everton now. The delivery for Keane’s goal was superb, low flight, out-swinging and dialled in straight to where three Everton attackers were.

Gordon should have scored in the first minute when running through and being found brilliantly by Calvert-Lewin, but delayed and Ayling just got back. He was everywhere though and had Everton’s first shot on target from distance minutes later.

For the first Everton goal Gordon was instrumental in the build up by playing a pin point ball through the defence for Van De Beek to cross to Calvert-Lewin, which then spun up off the defender for Coleman to nod home.

Gordon was everywhere and capped his display with a goal, clipping off his heel after Richarlison had burst with the ball to the edge of the area and produced a good left foot shot.

Soon after that ritual happened again, and then the cameras caught Gordon smiling widely on the bench as news that the third goal was his. No one could begrudge him that either. Even esteemed football journalist Henry Winter found himself getting involved:

Certainly Lampard has increased the effectiveness of Gordon’s play already, but I think you have to give the player so much credit too as during difficult circumstances he has established himself in the first team.

Gray might be back next week, Alli is on the bench, but there is no question if Gordon is available he simply has to start every game at the moment.

Set piece and intensity work shows fruition with instant results

5. Everton backroom staff work bears fruit

We analysed Everton’s backroom staff back when Lampard took charge a couple of week’s ago. Now we can start, thankfully, to see the results of this work as it really paid dividends against Leeds this weekend.

We have already explained the intense high press Lampard likes to play and in both home games so far we have seen this in abundance, especially against Leeds in the first half. This seemed to go missing earlier against Newcastle, the first half injuries a contributing factor no doubt.

What was noticeable however against Leeds was that the formation slightly tweaked as the game went on.

In the high octane first half an hour Allan slotted alongside the two centre backs to be a defensive three and Kenny and Coleman went further forward.

When Leeds started to gain a foothold in the game, albeit at two nil down, Kenny and Coleman retreated to a back four and Allan went further forward closer to Van De Beek.

In the second half when Leeds had more possession it became more 4-3-3 with Gordon or Iwobi dropping into midfield more, however this enabled Everton to break quicker and have more space out wide.

It was also noticeable Leeds switched to three centre backs at two nil down, but this enabled Everton to shackle Leeds’ front players more effectively and held them to a lowly xG of 0.29. They also failed to register a shot on target, although two strikes of Jordon Pickford’s bar from Rodrigo means Everton’s clean sheet was never too secure.

The fact Leeds did not get a shot on target or that close in the penalty area shows how much Everton had control of the game.

Credit must go to Paul Clement on his work with Everton and attacking set pieces since he joined Lampard at Finch Farm. Everton have scored three goals direct from set pieces already, you could say four as the goal at Newcastle also came from a free kick despite it being an own goal.

Against Leeds there was a clear free kick routine for the second goal that hadn’t been seen this season, with Everton players lining up on the edge of the area and having much more room to run on to the corner.

Last season Everton were one of the best at gaining goals from set pieces, as we can see from the below chart, which was before this weekend’s games, they have already moved themselves in the more productive half of this table after Keane’s goal:

Having said that about the productivity from corners, it will help because the more positive football that Lampard plays, the more corners Everton will get also. For example against Leeds they had five corners, above the 3.85 average for the season before this game.

The work defensively from corners still needs improving also, the first Newcastle goal being the proof of that, but with Everton stopping Leeds having any shots on target and of any note from inside the penalty area, again this will reduce the number of corners against them.

It is encouraging the work on the training ground is already being noticed on the pitch on a matchday. These small margins are crucial in relegation battles and Everton are certainly working hard at making them in their favour.

Next up is a Southampton side who like to do all of the above, with them in great form it will be a big test for Lampard and his team, but the win gives them breathing space and fans can once again enjoy Match Of The Day like last weekend.