Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker humorously highlighted Everton’s inability to score despite numerous chances, remarking that they “can’t finish their dinner.”
Lineker, who was a prolific striker for Everton during the 1985/86 season, scoring 40 goals in 57 appearances and later clinching the Golden Boot at the World Cup in Mexico, pointed out the current squad’s need for a clinical finisher. This need was underscored by Everton’s recent match against West Ham United, where manager Sean Dyche benched striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who hadn’t scored in 20 games since a previous encounter with West Ham on October 29. Dyche’s decision to play Beto, who broke his own 12-game goal drought with a header, didn’t compensate for the team’s broader issue of missed opportunities, despite dominating the game.
Dyche has previously encouraged his players to be fearless in front of goal, but he also emphasized the importance of capitalizing on critical moments. His post-match comments after the 3-1 defeat, despite controlling the game for long stretches, reflected his frustration with the team’s lack of goal-scoring efficiency.
He expressed bewilderment at the team’s inability to score more, considering the talent and quality within the squad. This is especially perplexing given Everton’s expected goals (xG) statistics. They lead the Premier League in the discrepancy between expected goals (42) and actual goals scored (29), missing 13 more goals than anticipated based on the quality of chances created.
This inefficiency is stark when compared to other Premier League teams. Manchester United, Brentford, and Chelsea are all trailing Everton in this unwanted statistic, having scored fewer goals than their xG would suggest, but by smaller margins.
The problem was evident in the match against West Ham, where Everton, according to Comparisonator, tied with Manchester City for the most shots in a single Premier League weekend, with 27 attempts on goal. Despite this, key players like Beto, Dwight McNeil, James Garner, Amadou Onana, and even substitute Calvert-Lewin, failed to convert these opportunities into more goals. This underperformance is a significant concern, as Everton’s average shots per game this season place them in the top half of the league, showing a clear disparity between the chances they create and the goals they score.
