Everton defeated Ipswich Town 1-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, ensuring they enter the first international break of the season undefeated after seven matches in all competitions. The result extends a remarkable run under David Moyes, who was left with a squad of just 18 outfield players after a turbulent transfer window, with 16 currently fit as Christian Norgaard and Merlin Rohl are injured. The squad contains only one striker, one left-back, and one right-back.
Wasteful finishing despite dominance
The Blues deserved their victory over Ipswich, which secured nine points from a possible 15 in the Premier League and followed a Carabao Cup third-round win at home to Wolves. However, their profligacy in front of goal could have proved costly. Moyes' men produced an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.24 from 21 shots but managed only two efforts on target.
Brennan Johnson was the most guilty player, missing the team's best chance (0.6 xG) and their second best (0.217 xG) opportunity. Fortunately for Everton, Thierno Barry scored his second Premier League goal of the season, taking his tally to five in all competitions. A sixth was ruled out after VAR advised referee Stuart Attwell to consult the pitchside monitor, as Johnson was stood in an offside position and deemed to be interfering with play. The home defence held out to secure the win.
Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall shine
Everton will have been encouraged by Jack Grealish, who returned on loan from Manchester City, getting back into the swing of things. Following his start in the 1-0 victory over Wolves three nights earlier, the 31-year-old made his first Premier League start since the 1-0 success at his first club Aston Villa on January 18, when he picked up the stress fracture injury in his left foot that ended his first season on Merseyside.
The Blues got the first £100million English footballer in possession in attacking areas, and they know if they can give him plenty of the ball in good positions, he will make things happen. Grealish created five chances, with nobody else on the pitch fashioning more than two, so it is no surprise that their attacks focused down the left side.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who scored eight goals and produced six assists last season and has already opened his account this term with the first strike in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in Everton's first game, linked up nicely with Grealish and naturally gravitates towards the left side of the pitch. The 28-year-old probably does this even more with Grealish back in the side because he makes smart runs and knows he will get the ball.
Moyes calls for ruthlessness
Dewsbury-Hall was heavily involved with 65 touches and took a match-high six shot attempts, although with an xG of 0.37, he failed to test Christian Walton, who was making his first Premier League appearance of the season in goal for Ipswich. Better shot selection is required. The lessons are obvious for the Blues: they have to be more ruthless in front of goal.
As Moyes declared in his post-match press conference: “We had big chances to go further in front. We didn’t.
“We started quite well, got the goal and looked as though we were going to be fine. Once the player got sent off, I thought we should have gone on and scored more.
“Statistically, we’ve been making much more chances. I think today we had 21 shots but only two on target, so, that’s not any good, but the 21 shots is very good because our attempts on goal in all our games has been much, more higher than it’s [previously] been.
“We’re attempting to play in a way where we can get more chances, try and produce more opportunities. In the main, I think we have but we’ve not been taking them.
“Thierno missed a great headed chance in the first half and then in the second half, Kiernan missed a great headed chance at the back post. Brennan had a chance and Tyler Dibling did really well, forcing a good save and there were another couple of chances as well.
“We’ve been doing a lot of good things but I’d have liked to have been better today if I could have.”
