With a game-winning brace against Crystal Palace, Dwight McNeil made sure Everton won the three points, but one other player also had a bit of an unsung hero moment.
After a very difficult start to their Premier League season—just one point from their first five games—Sean Dyche has finally managed to get a song out of his Everton men.
Though Everton was trailing the game after Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace scored early in the first half, it wasn’t an easy forward.
It’s interesting to note that Dwight McNeil, in particular, seemed to be fired up by Seamus Coleman’s halftime team talk, as he was awarded a seven-minute brace.
Everton will need to rely on McNeil to keep them out of relegation this season, according to Theo Walcott, who made this statement later.
But for his performance against Crystal Palace, one other Everton player deserves a great deal of praise.
Iliman Ndiaye was Everton’s real hero vs Crystal Palace
Despite having only appeared in eight games for Everton, Iliman Ndiaye has already had a significant influence.
His two goals in eight games will likely be viewed by many neutral fans as mediocre. You don’t realize how much he does to set up attacks and move off the ball until you see him play.
Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace was no different.
The 24-year-old had 53 touches, a passing accuracy of 91%, made one key pass, completed three dribbles, won five duels, was fouled twice, made one clearance off the line, three interceptions, blocked one shot and was fouled twice.
Of course, the clearance off the line proved crucial, as did his defensive work, in what was an incredibly well-rounded performance.
It’s no surprise Michael Keane called Ndiaye a ‘top player’ after the game.
Dwight McNeil’s performance in numbers vs Crystal Palace
Dwight McNeil grabbed his two goals, but other than that there wasn’t too much to shout about.
He had five fewer touches than Ndiaye with 48, a passing accuracy of 78%, made one key pass, successfully completed three out of his six crosses, completed one out of his three dribbles, won just two of his nine duels, lost possession 20 times and made one tackle.
Ndiaye had much more of an impact on the game overall, at both ends of the pitch.
