In the aftermath of Idrissa Gana-Gueye’s suspension and injuries to other key midfielders, David Moyes deployed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as a defensive midfielder in Everton’s midweek win at Bournemouth.
With the same issues persisting into Saturday’s game against Nottingham Forest, Dewsbury-Hall’s performance as a deep lying midfielder suggested he might be a useful stop-gap.
The Englishman has proved to be quite useful in the position throughout his career, racking up over 6000 minutes as a defensive midfielder, showing he is no stranger to the role.
Dewsbury-Hall’s passing proved pivotal in Tuesday’s game, with Moyes’ side looking to exploit space in behind an expansive Bournemouth team, and the 27-year-old’s vision combined nicely with picking up the ball in deeper areas and looking to find Jack Grealish on the left wing.
Iroegbunam proved to be the perfect partner against Bournemouth, as he would focus more of his work defensively, picking up more tackles in Everton’s defensive third which provided a great balance to the midfield.
Everton host their previous coach Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest before travelling to Chelsea and welcoming league leaders Arsenal in the lead-up to Christmas, with Gana-Gueye scheduled to return for the west-London meeting.
With Everton’s next opponents enjoying a good run of form they might look to take the game to Everton. Similarly to against Bournemouth, Moyes could set up his midfield to replicate the same tactic with Dewsbury-Hall playing deeper and Carlos Alcaraz further forward.
As for the two London opponents, Moyes may opt to return to a more defensive set-up in an attempt to keep things air-tight at the back, with the possibility of The Toffees having much possession against the two unlikely.
However, Moyes may have uncovered a blessing in disguise, and he could now deploy a more attacking midfield in more evenly matched games, with Alcaraz in the 10 and Dewsbury-Hall dictating play from deep.
