The Merseyside derby features the side second only to Tottenham in the table. Not Liverpool, and not the standings that matter most. But in the shot charts, Everton, with 133, are behind only the actual league leaders. They have a higher expected goals in league football this season than Manchester City. They average more shots per match than Barcelona.
An early-season anomaly or is Sean Dyche a born-again entertainer and Dycheball football’s newest great attacking philosophy? If logic dictates that the answer veers towards the former – after all, at this stage of last season, Frank Lampard’s Everton had the Premier League’s best defensive record – Dyche has had a point during the post-match interviews where he has repeated a mantra about the number and quality of chances his side have generated.
They were camouflaged in part by the low conversion rate, by the meagre tally of nine goals, by the fact Everton did not score in their first three league games and, for the first time in their history, they lost their opening three at Goodison Park without finding the net.
There is a case for arguing that if Everton had been better at finishing, they would have required fewer shots: take a comfortable lead early and they might not have had 19 efforts against Fulham or 15 versus Wolves, each in 1-0 defeats at Goodison Park, or 23 at home to Luton, also in a loss.
