When David Moyes replaced Sean Dyche in the Goodison Park dugout, it was the beginning of a defining period for Everton, and one they have passed with flying colours.
Everton’s battling win over Crystal Palace last weekend has made it four wins from five Premier League matches, with James Tarkowski’s thunderbolt also salvaging a last-gasp draw in the Merseyside Derby one week ago.
The skipper came up trumps, but Beto’s goal may prove to be more significant, for the centre-forward has finally hit his goalscoring stride for the Toffees.
Why Beto's form is so significant
Four goals in his past three top-flight fixtures. It’s as if Moyes has taken the lid off a boiling pot of potential within this Everton squad, and players are finally realising that, actually, they can play.
Everton signed Beto, 26, from Italian club Udinese for a tall £26m fee in August 2023, with Dyche and Farhad Moshiri seeking cover for the injury-prone Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Calvert-Lewin is sidelined at the moment but he’s enjoyed a comparatively injury-free term for Everton, but with only three goals from 22 league matches, it’s clear he’s flattering to deceive.
Combine that with the fitness woes of Armando Broja and Youssef Chermiti and you’ve got something of a conundrum. It was vital that Beto stepped up, and he has.
However, the Guinea Bissau international has been linked with a move back to the Serie A across the past two windows, and with DCL out of a deal this summer, it would be neat if Moyes could promote Everton’s next academy star.
Everton's next academy star
Beto’s form suggests that he could be an attractive long-term option for Moyes’ project, with his powerful running and bullish presence perfect for the Premier League. It’s almost surprising that it’s taken him so long to get going.
Finding a homegrown prospect to learn from his ways could bear dividends for the team over the coming years, and Moyes may find his man in 19-year-old Omari Benjamin.
Benjamin is a dynamic forward who has been a steady source of goals for U21s manager Paul Tait, scoring seven and assisting two more across all competitions this term – the same haul as Beto for the senior team.
Centre-forward
9
6
1
Left winger
3
0
1
Right winger
1
1
0
Attacking midfield
1
0
0
Benjamin, who was poached from Arsenal’s Hale End last summer after a trial, has excellent technique and impressive hold-up play, with his ability to mix it up across various positions and indeed style of play suggesting that he could be Moyes’ next version of Michail Antonio.
Antonio, 34, has been out of action for several months following a horrific car accident that he is making good progress in recovering from, but he’s been regarded as a “monster” of a forward by journalist Paul Brown, owing to his strength and focal presence in the final third.
In The Pipeline
The Jamaican international – who is also West Ham’s record scorer in the Premier League – was so often Moyes’ go-to man at the London Stadium, having scored 55 goals and registered 26 assists in 182 games under the Scotsman. Only Jarrod Bowen (60), Tim Cahill (68) and Leon Osman (70) have scored more goals for Moyes in his entire managerial career, as per Transfermarkt.
Benjamin, then, could well look to emerge as the new Antonio for the experienced coach. The teen star stands at 6 foot and has also been hailed as a “prolific” striker during his formative years at Arsenal by youth reporter Jeorge Bird.
Moyes proved with Antonio that he can eke out every bit of quality from such a profile, and given the security that Beto is currently providing the front of the Everton ship, now might be the perfect time to promote an academy gem and ease the injury issues.
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