Everton were on an incredible run of form ever since losing 3-0 at home to Manchester United after the November international break. The Toffees managed to go on a four-game winning streak, keeping clean sheets in all four which was the first time the club managed to do so since November 2002.
However, the Merseyside club are now on a four-match losing streak and could find themselves inside the Premier League relegation zone within the next fortnight should this spell continue.
The side’s 3-0 defeat away at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday certainly brought Everton straight back down to earth and may have caused head coach Sean Dyche to question his starting lineup.
Nathan Patterson’s performance in numbers
One of the players who stuck out like a sore thumb for their dismal display at Molineux was Nathan Patterson.
Dyche switched his team up from the one that lost 3-1 against Manchester City in midweek, bringing Michael Keane back into the fold over midfielder Andre Gomes, changing his formation from a 4-4-1-1 to a 5-4-1. As a result, Patterson was deployed as a right wingback, but the tactical tweak certainly didn’t have the desired effect the manager hoped it would have.
During the game, Patterson lost 60% of his ground duels, was dribbled past once, made merely two passes into the final third and failed to whip a single accurate cross into the box, according to FotMob.
Furthermore, the Scotland international was beaten to the ball twice for Wolves’ first two goals and also picked up an early booking for a foul on Joao Gomes when the match was goalless, rendering him idle for the remainder.
Additionally, Patterson lost possession of the ball 13 times and managed to record fewer touches of the ball than the goalkeeper, with 43 to Jordan Pickford’s 47, before eventually being whipped off by the manager in the 63rd minute when the game was 3-0 to the hosts.
Expected Assists
0.01
Passing Accuracy %
69%
Touches
43
Passes Into Final Third
2
Crossing Accuracy %
0%
Possession Lost
13
Ball Recoveries
3
Ground Duels Won
2
Ground Duels Lost
3
It was a night to forget for the 22-year-old, who was handed a match rating of 4/10 by the Liverpool Echo, but his replacement had a far more assured performance.
Seamus Coleman’s stats this season
Club captain Seamus Coleman made just his second appearance of the season on Saturday, coming on for Patterson with less than a half-hour remaining. However, Wolves didn’t score while he was on the pitch and were much more assured down the right.
The £73k-per-week defender won 67% of his ground duels during his time on the pitch and made five passes into the final third which was more than Patterson in half the time, while also making six ball recoveries in total.
The Republic of Ireland skipper has been a reliable servant for Everton since joining the club over a decade ago, with former manager Frank Lampard even describing Coleman as a “warrior” when he was in charge.
Expected Assists
0.01
Touches
24
Passes Into Final Third
5
Successful Dribbles
2
Passing Accuracy %
83%
Ball Recoveries
6
Duels Won
2
Duels Lost
1
In addition, the veteran has played as a centre-back 11 times throughout his career. This means that Coleman offers Dyche a positional flexibility that Patterson doesn’t possess to switch between a back three and a back four in-game.
While Patterson may be the future of Everton, Coleman has proved that he can still do a job at Goodison Park and may have played his way into the starting lineup ahead of next week’s FA Cup clash with Crystal Palace.
