Ex-England ace names three Everton stars who will save The Toffees from relegation, hails £17m signing
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Will that nervy victory over Crystal Palace come to represent Everton’s long awaited lift-off, or the latest in a seemingly never-ending series of false dawns.
After throwing away seven points against AFC Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Leicester City, Saturday afternoon was The Toffees’ turn to spark a dramatic comeback of their own.
Departing to a chorus of boos at half-time – Marc Guehi had flicked fellow strugglers Crystal Palace into an early lead – Everton exploded out of the blocks like a pedigree stallion after the interval.
And while Sean Dyche’s side have made a habit of clattering into the first available hurdle before being carted off to the glue factory, they would pip Palace by a nose this time around as the ‘outstanding’ Dwight McNeil scored two Everton goals in the blink of an eye.
With Ipswich Town, Southampton and a poor West Ham side to come in their next five Premier League outings, Dyche will be praying that Everton can build on a rare afternoon full of positives.
Sean Dyche’s Everton backed to climb the Premier League table
In addition to those much-needed three points, The Toffees were equally delighted to welcome Jarrad Branthwaite back after a spell on the sidelines.
Making his first appearance of 2024/25, Branthwaite immediately replaced Michael Keane in the XI and produced a display which proved just how far ahead he is of the other centre-halves at Dyche’s disposal.
And, speaking to talkSPORT (30 September, 6pm), ex-England international Danny Murphy mentioned Branthwaite as one of three potentially season-changing pillars in an Everton side he feels have enough quality in key areas to once again stem the tide.
"I even think Everton will start pulling away [from the relegation zone],” the former Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham playmaker says.
“I know they haven't got an abundance of firepower, but if you think where they had finish last season without the points deduction…
“They have got Branthwaite back now, [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin is fit, [Iliman] Ndiaye, he looks decent. They are getting players back."
Calvert-Lewin, Everton’s opinion-splitting, perennially injury-prone number nine, has shown a few tantalising glimpses of his Ancelotti-era best in recent weeks.
With McNeil flying and summer signing Ndiaye adding some glitter to the grit, Calvert-Lewin should once again start to receive the sort of service an old-school throwback like himself needs in the penalty area.
Jarrad Branthwaite makes big impact on Everton return
It is no coincidence, meanwhile, that Everton conceded 14 goals in their five Premier League matches Branthwaite missed through groin surgery.
While the sample size is obviously small, Everton’s record this season has them conceding one goal per match with Branthwaite and nearly three per match without him.
“It was good to be back out there,” he told reporters at full-time, Branthwaite a Manchester United target and showing why with a typically commanding display.
“It’s been a frustrating 15 weeks or so. It’s not the start of the season I would have wanted. Being on the sidelines, watching the team play and not getting results and going through a difficult time… that’s when you want to be out there and helping.
“To be able to come back in today, first half getting my feet in and in the second half getting more into the game and getting up to the speed of it.
“To get three points, it’s massive. It’s massive for the team. It’s a big morale boost going into the game [against Newcastle at Goodison Park] next weekend.
“For me, obviously, [it is] going to take a few games to get back up to the speed of things. You’ve got to ease yourself in to some extent but, obviously, put the hard yards in and that’s what I’ve been doing.”
