This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Everton’s Andre Gomes has been one of their standout players since he joined the club on loan and it was no surprise when he signed permanently in the summer for £22m.
His one goal and assist and an average of 44.4 passes per game was key to Everton’s improvement last campaign. Plus, now that he is a full-time member of the side, he has a chance to show the top teams what he can do.
Gomes is no stranger to big clubs, having spent the last few years at Barcelona and Valencia, and the midfielder will be desperate to show Tottenham Hotspur what they missed out on this weekend. The Lilywhites were reportedly interested in the 26-year-old during the summer, shortly after his loan spell had ended on Merseyside.
However, they couldn’t get the deal done, and now Gomes needs to up his creativity in the centre of the park to prove his worth again. So far, the former Benfica man has averaged 3.4 long balls and 1.3 dribbles per game. His abilities in midfield were key to Everton’s win over West Ham United a few weeks back, where he looked unplayable against Mark Noble and Declan Rice.
Now is a better time than ever for Gomes to showcase his talents to the club. Spurs are only two points ahead of Everton, and the likes of Dele Alli have gone missing so far this season. The Portuguese will be licking his lips at playing these out of form midfielders and he could leave Mauricio Pochettino with a lingering feeling of regret come Sunday evening.
It certainly may have been a worthwhile signing for Spurs, with Eriksen’s contract expiring in the summer and his transfer fee a relatively modest one in the context of the modern market.
Nevertheless, he is still wearing blue and continuing to prove his importance for the side.
Now is his chance to make Spurs rue a missed opportunity.
