Everton – Alex Iwobi solves his own transfer mystery, but Tom Davies asks Carabao Cup

Dominic Calvert-Lewin shows the true price

Dominic Calvert-Lewin won his 150th Everton appearance against the same team he made his debut under Ronald Koeman in 2016.

A lot has changed since then. And doesn’t time fly?

Calvert-Lewin is another beast. It’s stronger, faster, stronger. You wonder if Koeman would even recognize the central striker compared to the boy he left behind.

Koeman, of course, appreciated the striker, but found only room for him on the flank and, bizarrely, in the right back for most of his unhappy term.

However, the Dutchman was not the only one with doubts. In fact, to be honest, how many people can say they could see his unprecedented promotion to the Premier League hot-shot coming this time last year, when Calvert-Lewin started on his way to goals under Duncan Ferguson? It was just a patch of purple, a spell of trust. It is not like that?

No, no and not again.

The 23-year-old would have had his 47th strike under the belt for Everton if Rob Holding had not decided an own goal, but imagine the statistics in the next 150 matches.

He has 14 in all competitions and continues to find himself in the right positions. No, it wasn’t his goal against the Gunners, but without him there, groping, straightening, jumping higher than human seems possible, Holding cleans the ball comfortably.

You can’t talk about price with Calvert-Lewin anymore. What gives Everton and the Carlo Ancelotti project is invaluable. Even when he is not scoring, his infectious work rate sets the tone for everyone around him.

150 matches and Calvert-Lewin is fast becoming the best pound-for-pound signature in modern Everton history.

Here are another 150 and a lot of goals along the way.

Tom Davies asks Carlo Ancelotti the question

Andre Gomes was given a chance to change things around. He was against Arsenal from the start – in midfield for the first time since winning over Brighton and Hove Albion in October – and for the most part could do nothing.

Davies was orderly, energetic and controlled in the center, allowing Abdoulaye Doucoure to make the early pressing.

It was an important night for the 22-year-old, who will no doubt be aware of the rising queue filtering through the locker room door at Finch Farm.
Doucoure and Allan are no doubt used to it, while Gylfi Sigurdsson, Gomes and Davies are fighting for the other place, with Fabian Delph there and before the injury.

The imminent return of Jean-Philippe Gbamin makes this an even more crowded position.

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It seems to be very difficult, and Everton has a transfer decision to make in January. Do they really need seven players for three positions? Perhaps Ancelotti would claim to do so, especially given his latest clue to the signing of Sami Khedira from Juventus.

But back to Davies. Where does this performance leave him? Well, the penalty incident aside, it didn’t hurt his chances to start against Manchester United.

His lie about Ainsley Maitland-Niles may not have been given in previous years and showed the right mentality to respond and help Everton win with a momentum and a desire to lead the heavy courts.

Gomes’ short-term role in this team is also being examined, with the midfielder himself acknowledging that he continues to look for complete fitness after his horrific injury last year. The next few months – even games – could be crucial for both.

Any of them getting their head around United’s visit on Wednesday has a real chance of making sure they’re higher in that collision order when the next two transfer windows arrive.

Alex Iwobi solves the transfer mystery

Put the magnifying glass and the dashboard.

In the end, perhaps, the mystery of the transfer around Alex Iwobi seems to have been solved by man himself.

Iwobi is in the form of his Everton career and may have left Arsenal with his own regret of transferring to Goodison Park.

Okay, let’s not give up after a month of good performance. The 24-year-old has yet to work on his last ball and decision-making, but is starting to ease the £ 34m questions that have surrounded his acquisition for almost 18 months.

He is, in fairness, incredibly positive in his desire for possession and his work rate, supporting a Mason Holgate out of position, remains undervalued. When he received the ball against Arsenal, his first thought was always to get on the front foot.
That action would eventually pay off when he defeated Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose head was eventually led as an own goal by Rob Holding. But how Arsenal would have loved their own Iwobi on Saturday.

Holgate and Ben Godfrey, as solid as they were, were rarely bothered until the final stages of victory. Iwobi, on the other hand, remained in the vicinity, supporting, hesitantly, ready to reach Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

He is in a difficult position, Iwobi, as James Rodriguez remains unstoppable if he is fit enough to face Manchester United in the middle of the week.

Where would Iwobi leave that? Probably on the bench.

But doubts no longer circulate as carefully. Everton supporters returning to Goodison Park have been treated with an Iwobi who grafts, runs and, although far from the final article, possesses a kind of directness that can hurt the opposition at this level.

Ancelotti clearly evaluates him and he is another member of the long recent success story, which is beginning to thrive under his positive leadership.

With two assists in the last two games, he can go on.