Everton unleash new partnership as Sean Dyche tactical change pays off

Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane will understandably grab the headlines from Everton’s 2-0 triumph at Ipswich Town as the Blues secured a first away win for 10 months. But a change in the engine room proved effective.

Until they defeated the big-spending Suffolk outfit, who have splashed out over £100million on new players after back-to-back promotions, Sean Dyche’s side hadn’t been victorious on their travels since overcoming his previous club Burnley 2-0 on December 16.

While most areas of Everton’s team pick themselves, there are a couple of positions still very much up for grabs and along with the moveable feast that is the right-back berth, central midfield is also a role where there has been scrutiny over the balance in the side.

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For the first four games of the season, which all ended in defeat, Idrissa Gueye was partnered with Tim Iroegbunam, but in the three prior to the trip to Portman Road, Abdoulaye Doucoure played alongside Orel Mangala.

However, as the Blues went up against Kieran McKenna’s men, Dyche opted to pair Gueye and Doucoure together in the engine room.

Ever since he was brought back in from the cold by Dyche after being frozen out under predecessor Frank Lampard, Doucoure has primarily been used as a more advanced central midfield option, supporting his striker, and of course it was his goal against Bournemouth that spared the club from a first relegation in 72 years on the final day of the 2022/23 season.

With Ndiaye now on the left wing though, ensuring Dwight McNeil is operating as a rather different kind of ‘number 10’, the £20million signing from Watford in 2020 has been restored to the deeper role that he has occupied for most of his career. In terms of Doucoure and Gueye previously being together alongside each other though, you have to go back to Everton’s 3-0 home win over Newcastle United on December 7 last year.

Each of them played a crucial role in ensuring the Blues secured a first three points on the road this calendar year at Ipswich. Statistics collated by Comparisonator shows Gueye was joint first in the Premier League over the weekend for ball recoveries in his own half with nine – double his average over 90 minutes for the season (4.5) – a figure that only Andre of Wolverhampton Wanderers could match with Yves Bissouma of Tottenham Hotspur, Sander Berge of Fulham and Flynn Downes of Southampton all on seven.

The Senegal international was also second among his peers in the division for offensive ground duels won (five), with only Moises Caicedo of Chelsea (eight) having more.

Doucoure for his part was top of the shop for the number of loose ball duels won (three) while his five picking ups (five) was second in the Premier League behind Christian Norgaard of Brentford (six).

*Comparisonator is a football data comparison tool from 271 professional leagues around the world which compares players and clubs by utilising over 100 different parameters. Click here for more details.