Chermiti brace hints again at potential with Everton badly needing goals

That red card though fortunately doesn't mean he is unavailable at the weekend when Everton take on West Ham in their first match since the successful points deduction appeal earlier this week.

As a result of that appeal decision announced on Monday, the Toffees got four points back from the ten that were originally deducted in the aftermath of November's decision by the Premier League commission.

So after another frustrating draw at Brighton on Saturday, the Blues and boss Sean Dyche must look to plot a positive way forward with twelve games of the Premier League season remaining.

Dyche's biggest single problem as we all know, is how to conjure more goals out of his team with Everton currently the third lowest scorers in the Premier League.

Tellingly, only the bottom two, Burnley and Sheffield United, have netted fewer times and both those sides looked destined for the drop.

On the plus side, apart from the top three of Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal, the Blues have conceded the least, so the key issue is clear.

The Toffees need for goals is becoming desperate now after a run of six draws and four defeats since the side last won in the league on the 16th December.

In that time Everton have only managed to score more than a single goal on one occasion; the 2-2 draw at Goodison on the 3rd February against Spurs.

Meanwhile, the Blues strikers have been caught in a goal drought that is taking on epic proportions with Dominic Calvert-Lewin having last netted way back in late October, and Beto's first and only Premier League goal having come against Chelsea on the 10th December!

All this is creating a problem that is having a hugely negative impact on results and undermining the excellent defensive spadework that is keeping the Toffees competitive in game after game.

Obviously, this can't go on if Everton are to avoid getting caught in the relegation dragnet again, as even with the four points restored it would only take a few adverse results to put them right back in it.

To find more goals I have argued consistently that Dyche needs to look at changing his tactics and mentality, particularly when the Blues are at home.

But I think he also must be prepared to look at all his attacking options and give his young players more of a chance to show what they can contribute.

Lewis Dobbin has looked dangerous at times when he has come on as a substitite and surely deserves more of a run in the team, especially as Everton badly lack pace up front and Arnaut Danjuma is still injured.

As for Chermiti it is true he is still very inexperienced and a little raw but he seems to have a goalscorers' instincts and did bag a brace last night, albeit for the Under-21s.

While there are obviously going to be question marks over whether Chermiti is ready for the uniquely testing environment of the Premier League, it isn't as if Dyche has prolific senior strikers to call upon!

The manager must be prepared to take a few more chances in order to try and find some goals with the games starting to run out and huge uncertainty still surrounding the club's future, even after Monday's announcement.

So then, might we see more of Chermiti starting with Saturday's match against the Hammers at the Grand Old Lady?