Everton are at risk of looking rather ordinary in the Premier League this season, with David Moyes‘ side stifled by the neglect of the ownership, who did not back the Toffees in the summer transfer market.
Last weekend, defeat against Chelsea might have been Everton’s first of the campaign, but the manner of the loss illustrated the issues relating to squad depth and quality in attack which will hurt Everton in their attempt to break into Europe.
Everton were toothless at the weekend, and that clash against Chelsea made a strong comment on technical director Angus Kinnear’s decision to cash in on Iliman Ndiaye in August without replacing him.
Why Everton miss Iliman Ndiaye
It was a disastrous summer transfer window for Everton, with the Merseyside outfit objectively weaker now than they were when they finished the 2025/26 campaign rueing a missed opportunity to qualify for European football.
Last season, Ndiaye only scored six times in the Premier League for Everton. However, his talismanic influence outweighed the impact his goalscoring ability offers for the Toffees.
Described as a winger with “magic in his boots” by Everton writer Lyndon Lloyd, Ndiaye now plies his trade with Manchester City after completing his £65m move, chasing a dream to become one of Europe’s leading forwards.
Obviously, the 26-year-old is a big miss for Everton. Last season, he won six duels and completed 2.3 dribbles per game in the Premier League, bringing a ticking time bomb kind of energy that Moyes no longer has. Illustrating this, Brennan Johnson has played regularly on the right flank for the Merseysiders.
Everton might have an imbalanced frontline leaving a lot to be desired, but it would be untrue to say they are bereft of quality. Indeed, one player is starting to look like a £100m player at Everton.
Moyes signing looks like a £100m player at Everton
With Ndiaye gone, Jack Grealish needs to rise even higher than he did on loan last season, becoming the main man for an Everton side crying out for some inspiration.
However, it could be another attacking midfielder who is ready to step up.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is not similar to Ndiaye. He cannot replace the Senegalese forward. That said, there is something Grealish-esque about him. The Englishman, a £30m signing from Chelsea in 2025, does not share Grealish’s flair and fleet-footedness, but he is still highly creative, starting to take on a more focal role in attacking manoeuvres for the Toffees.
Grealish has come a long way since joining Man City from boyhood club Aston Villa for a record-breaking £100m in 2021. Dewsbury-Hall might not rise to such financial levels at Everton, but there’s every reason that his stock can continue to balloon over the coming months, with his performances so far this season speaking toward his timing, anticipation and roundedness at the heart of Moyes’ team.
He will want to perform even more prolifically in front of goal, but there’s no question that Dewsbury-Hall is the difference-maker in this Everton side right now, creating and defending resiliently and working like a dog to get points on the board for the Hill Dickinson side.
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Dewsbury-Hall in the Premier League for Everton |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (* per 90) |
25/26 |
26/27 |
|
Matches (starts) |
31 (30) |
7 (7) |
|
Goals + Assists |
8 + 4 |
2 + 1 |
|
Touches* |
51.0 |
61.0 |
|
Accurate passes* |
27.3 (82%) |
34.9 (87%) |
|
Big chances created |
10 |
4 |
|
Key passes* |
1.2 |
2.4 |
|
Possession lost* |
12.8 |
13.1 |
|
Succ. dribbles* |
0.9 |
1.1 |
|
Ball recoveries* |
4.3 |
5.4 |
|
Def. contributions* |
3.0 |
2.8 |
|
Duels won* |
4.7 (51%) |
5.1 (53%) |
The 28-year-old is one of the most talented players at Everton, and he is becoming increasingly influential as a goalscoring extra and a playmaker from deep.
After all, having created 2.4 chances per game in the division this season, he is actually outperforming Grealish from a playmaking perspective. Grealish has played six times, averaging 1.5 chances created per match.
Last year, it felt at times as if Grealish was the only one capable of hauling significant weight in front of goal for Everton (aside from Ndiaye, that is).
But now, Dewsbury-Hall is starting to grow into his skin, providing for an Everton side who need to make every last resource count after such a frustrating summer transfer window.
