Everton traveled to the Stadium of Light on Monday night and, after a strong start that saw the Toffees take an early lead, the Blues ended up sharing the points with Sunderland via a second half strike from Granit Xhaka.
It was the proverbial tale of two halves for Everton in the 1-1 draw. Here are a few things we learned from Monday’s match.
Iliman Ndiaye is the real deal
Ndiaye is a player who has gotten major media attention in recent weeks, with his dazzling displays against top opponents showcasing what Evertonians already knew about the player.
In the 15th minute, he gathered the ball on the right side, dribbled inside, got the ball on his left foot, and clinically shot it into the left portion of the net. Don’t be surprised when big clubs come knocking with outrageous offers.
Thierno Barry is getting closer, but he’s not there yet.
Sofascore gave Barry a 5.5 match rating, surely because of his clear missed chance in the 28th minute. Aside from that moment and his yellow card, Barry was involved, drifted into the wings, and had plenty of positive moments.
That open opportunity will surely haunt him because it partially led to Everton not winning the game, but the signs are there that he will eventually start banging goals in for the Toffees.
Carlos “Charly” Alcaraz has to feature more often
When Alcaraz helped Everton clinch a vital victory against Crystal Palace earlier this year, fans expected him to feature more often. However, he hasn’t gotten much of an opportunity.
Moyes made the decision to bring in Dwight McNeil first ahead of Charly, which had dire consequences. Everton struggled to meet Sunderland’s intensity.
When Alcaraz came on against Sunderland, he was active, clean on the ball, and although frustratingly lacked the finishing touch in transition, at least created actions that Everton could build on. For Everton’s sake, he needs to feature in more matches and at earlier times.