This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Andre Gomes suffered a horrific injury in the 1-1 draw to Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend, and the Portugal international will now be set for an awfully long period on the sidelines.
On the chalkboard
It has been a nightmare start for Everton this season, with the club sat in 17th and just one point clear of the relegation spots. However, in the midst of such dreadful displays, Gomes has been one of Everton’s better players and certainly helped the team stay out of the drop zone.
During the 26-year-old’s three game absence Everton lost every league game. In fact, all three of the Toffees’ league victories this season arrived when Gomes started and played the full 90 minutes, which underlines his importance to the side.
Now, with his brutal injury, one man is going to need to step up for many months, and that man must be Tom Davies.
Door opens for Davies
Davies – valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt – has struggled to nail down a starting spot this season, starting just three times in the league. However, he has proven he can be a creative output for Marco Silva. In the win over West Ham United a few weeks back, the Englishman made 34 passes – only Gomes had more with 37.
In the game against Spurs, despite the 1-1 result, Davies was a shining light at times for the Toffees. He made four tackles in the game and his defence-splitting pass into the path of Theo Walcott in the second half showcased his creative talent. The 22-year-old also played four long balls against the Lilywhites and won seven out of nine ground duels.
The lack of natural creativity from other central midfielders, such as Fabian Delph and Morgan Schneiderlin, is only going to up the importance of Davies.
The academy graduate is going to need to play plenty more passes akin to the one he played into Walcott against Spurs because in Gomes’ absence there are not many others who can.
The Portuguese man’s tough break could lead into a truly defining period in Davies’ career.
