While the player’s success for his loan club is encouraging, the Toffees will be worried about Beto’s ongoing problems at Everton.
Everton hasn’t required to rely on their strikers to win games this season in the Premier League; in fact, last time out against Crystal Palace, left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko scored the first goal in a 3-2 victory at Selhurst Park, involving the defenders as well.
Another surprise hero rose to the occasion during the game-winning goal, holding midfielder Idrissa Gueye to score the winning goal with three minutes remaining after midfield colleague Abdoulaye Doucoure found him in space.
Not that Dominic Calvert-Lewin hasn’t led Sean Dyche’s team up top in spurts this season, with four goals from 11 appearances across all competitions. But the Blues aren’t overly dependent on a star striker like Romelu Lukaku, who was lethal in Blues uniforms during his four-year tenure.
Though Neal Maupay, who was sent back to old team Brentford for a mini-reunion with the Bees in September, is already outperforming the misfiring summer signing in West London, Dyche will still be frustrated that his new £25.75 million man, Beto, has failed up top.
Beto’s statistics for Everton so far
The 25-year-old forward, who stands 6 feet 4 inches tall, was highly anticipated when he signed with the Blues. He had been scoring goals for Udinese his entire career.
33 Serie A appearances and ten goals from the intimidating striker would be his total for his final full season with the White & Blacks.
With his new employers in England, he hasn’t exactly been able to replicate his Italian skill of skillfully ending opportunities; he has only scored once for the Toffees in the EFL Cup and hasn’t scored any goals in the Premier League’s cut and thrust.
This weekend in the Premier League, Beto made a promising appearance off the bench against Crystal Palace. His towering presence proved helpful as the Blues fought to hold onto the three points well into the match. According to Sofascore, Everton’s number 14 won three aerial duels in just 13 minutes on the field.
Nevertheless, Dyche will be hoping that his summer acquisition will find his scoring touch quickly, as Maupay exposed Beto’s lack of skill in front of goal while playing for the Toffees under Thomas Frank.
Neal Maupay’s statistics for Brentford so far
After a turbulent stint at Goodison Park, the Frenchman signed a short-term contract to return to Brentford. Maupay signed with Everton in the expectation of becoming a prolific striker, but nothing has gone according to plan during his time with the Blues.
Since Maupay has only scored one goal in his entire career with the Merseysiders, Dyche decided to let the 27-year-old leave the team in order to give him time to rebuild his confidence and perhaps return to Goodison a completely different player.
With two goals and two assists in Premier League play this season, the impotent £50k-per-week striker for the Blues has managed to turn around his goal-scoring fortunes with the Bees, surpassing Beto in top-flight goal contributions.
In the Bees’ most recent home game at the Gtech Community Stadium, against West Ham, Maupay, who is currently enjoying a winning streak for his team, scored the first goal of the game with a mishit strike that turned into a brilliant assist from teammate Frank Onyeka. Frank’s team went on to win 3-2 at the end of regulation.
Dyche will put additional pressure on Beto since Everton does not want to deal with another failed striker. But as loaned-out striker Maupay shown, misfiring attackers can simply pick up where they left off. He will be hoping that Beto can do the same and demonstrate why the Toffees were willing to part with a large sum of money to get him during the transfer window.
