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André Gomes can be missing midfield link

Everton are beginning to find their feet as injuries clear and the squad shows improved strength in depth. Victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday secured three successive league wins for the first time since January 2017. An assist and two goals from three substitutes in the latter stages underlined the increased options available to Marco Silva.

With a run of difficult away fixtures mixed with winnable home games in the weeks ahead, Silva may have to vary his approach week-by-week, which leaves the Everton manager with the difficult but pleasing dilemma of having to find the right balance and a place for all these players within his setup. One positive along the way, marking a clear and obvious shift from last season, though, is the number of viable alternatives within the squad. When performances or the result are going awry, with Everton heading for a frustrating draw until substitutes intervened on this occasion, Silva has several options to call on to refresh the team and switch formations if required.

This uptick in resources after the recent international break allowed Silva to name all six of his summer signings in the same matchday squad for the first time. Five of the new recruits started while Yerry Mina was among the substitutes after making the squad for the first time since his summer move from Barcelona. But while Mina was an unused substitute on his return to fitness, another player who swapped Barcelona for Merseyside in the summer managed a more productive afternoon as midfielder André Gomes turned in an effective debut during his 82 minutes on the pitch.

Injury had delayed his debut and Gomes seemed keen to make up for lost time during an increasingly influential performance that eventually ended with a deserved ovation from the Goodison faithful upon his substitution. This promising debut saw the midfielder finish second on attempted passes, third on pass accuracy and fourth on touches.

Gomes started cautiously in the initial stages, seemingly content to recycle possession and let others try to do the bulk of work. That is not to say he was shirking his responsibilities, but this steady approach was more than understandable for a player making his first appearance for a new team on his return from injury.

But as a physical contest warmed up, so too did the debutant. Whether it was the occasional sharp turn to advance up the pitch, a burst into space with the ball at his feet or a well-timed pass to a teammate, Gomes showed glimpses of why Silva was so keen to add him to an already congested central midfield. As his confidence and comfort within his new surroundings grew in the first half, a couple of deft reverse passes sprang the overlapping Lucas Digne down the left flank.

Signs of his ability were in evidence throughout this 82-minute outing, but it was after the interval that Gomes started to demonstrate his quality. If the first half was a player working his way up to speed, then the second saw the summer signing click through the gears and start to dictate proceedings from his midfield base. Passing became that bit crisper and more purposeful as the match wore on, clearly moving from basic ball retention to a more progressive approach. Comfortable off either foot, finding Digne once more with a driven pass off his so-called weaker left foot in the second half, the sight of a midfielder spraying passes to various corners of the Goodison turf is something Everton have lacked since Gareth Barry joined West Brom in August 2017.

While the central midfield alternatives available to Silva tend to do their best work recovering the ball and capitalising on opposition mistakes through pressing high up the pitch, Gomes seems a player likely to have the most impact in possession. In a midfield engine room packed with energy and tackling ability, Gomes can provide the finesse to compliment the traits of his teammates.

This was the first glimpse of the Barcelona loanee, but this one performance did enough to suggest he will be a key figure as this season advances, particularly in matches like this. Defensive and organised visiting teams are often the most difficult assignment for Everton at Goodison, but Gomes can offer that link between defence and attack, especially when faced with opposing teams happy to dig in and frustrate. A different type of central midfielder to those already at Silva’s disposal, Gomes could be the missing link in midfield.

Follow @Lukeofarrell

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