It’s fair to say that Gylfi Sigurdsson didn’t have the best of debut seasons at Everton last term.

The Iceland internationalist joined from Swansea City in a whopping £45m deal. Much was expected of a player that had proved so influential in the Premier League for The Swans.

A big problem was that Gyfli wasn’t The Toffees only big summer signing than could play in that number ten role, the Goodison Park club also welcomed back former local hero Wayne Rooney.

Rooney’s reputation and his bond with the club meant that he was given the nod more than he probably deserved. Wayne wasn’t particularly bad but he also wasn’t the same talent that he’d been previously.

So with Rooney occupying the hole behind the number nine, Sigurdsson often saw himself being deployed on the lefthand side. The attacker was simply not as effective out on the left flank and couldn’t grab games by the scruff of the neck as he’d done at Swansea. He would then miss the last eight games of the season due to a knee injury.

In the summer Wayne Rooney departed Merseyside for a stint in America with MLS side DC United. It seems like the best decision all round as the former England captain flourishing stateside and his departure has allowed Sigurdsson the chance to play in his preferred position and he’s once again playing a starring role and becoming a difference maker.

The twenty-nine year old Icelandic star has managed to play in each of Everton’s first eight league fixtures of this campaign and importantly he’s playing in his favoured attacking midfield position.

In those eight games, Gylfi has scored four times and created an assist. He has scored three of those goals in his last two appearances and in both games The Toffees have picked up important victories. He is providing around three key passes per game, averaging around 2.3 crosses per league appearance and making around 2.5 shots per game too.

He grabbed the winner as Everton produced a 2-1 away win over Leicester City, and what a goal it was too. The attacker picked the ball up halfway inside The Foxes half and he delightfully turned on the ball sending an opponent the wrong way, then Sigurdsson struck it viciously from about twenty-five yards out and it flew into the top corner. That was his 50th goal in the Premier League and it’s an early shout for goal of the season!

Under new Toffees boss Marco Silva; Gylfi is flourishing playing in an attack alongside Bernard, Theo Walcott and Richarlison. Sigurdsson loves to get involved and being the conductor that links everything together.

After today’s game, Silva was quick to praise the player and state the way the team plays now suits the influential midfielder:

“Our style is completely different to the style of last season.”

“It fits his profile as a player. If you have one player like Gylfi and you are always playing direct balls – direct ball and prepare for the second ball, direct ball and prepare for a second ball – that’s not for Gylfi. It’s not for Richarlison either.”

“But if you can create another style of play for him of course it will help him.”

“But what Gylfi is doing is because he is working really hard.”

I don’t think you can argue with that to be fair.

Sigurdsson is thriving as the club’s number ten and I am sure the Everton fans will be hoping that he can continue in this rich vein of form and keep producing the goods that can send The Toffees into the top half of the table.

 

Posted on October 6th, 2018 by scott
Filed under: Article