During a season in which they have registered 14 wins and 14 losses, Everton's 2018/19 campaign has been defined by their inconsistency.
A recent turn in form, which has seen the Toffees record impressive wins over Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, has lifted them to seventh in the table. Nevertheless, this purple patch has not masked what has been a fairly underwhelming season for Marco Silva and his Everton side.
Amidst their consistently unreliable performances, it may be easy to overlook two players whose form has been anything but patchy this season. Gylfi Sigurdsson and Richarlison have scored and assisted 33 goals in total for the Toffees this season, which is a record that most players outside the top two would struggle to beat.
Both players arrived at Goodison Park with hefty price tags the way they have justified the money spent on them has seemingly gone under the radar. Sigurdsson joined in the summer of 2017 for a fee in the region of £50m, while his Brazilian team mate joined from Watford in the 2018 summer transfer window for a fee of around £40m.
Richarlison joined the Toffees following a mixed season at Vicarage Road in the previous season - his first in English football. After a rip-roaring start to the 2017/18 campaign in which the Brazilian scored five goals in the opening 12 games, he then went the rest of the season without finding the net.
This led some to question his price tag upon arrival at Everton, but the 21 year-old has answered his critics in style with consistently brilliant performances, despite his side flattering to deceive at times.
Likewise, with the Toffees looking to break into the top six, critics casted doubt over the signing of Sigurdsson, who had recently failed to make an impression at Tottenham Hotspur. After a fairly quiet season for the Icelandic midfielder last year, his emphatic partnership with Richarlison this year has vindicated his price tag and given Everton fans a reason to smile.
The pair will be looking to continue their current form in the final three games of the season, as they look to end on a high. Looking to 2019/20, the Toffees may be looking to add to their attacking options in order to reduce the burden on the prolific duo.
Transfer rumours continue to link the club to various strikers across Europe, so it seems the ball may already be rolling in that respect. If they are successful in their search and they can find a player to link up with the duo, Everton may well be a force to be reckoned with next season.
Source :
90min
