Andre Gomes has handed Everton a surprise dilemma after 1,632-day streak ends

Andre Gomes might not be the most obvious example of what many might consider to be a ‘Sean Dyche’ midfielder but the Portuguese international’s display in what was a landmark occasion for him last time out suggests he can still play an effective role for this Everton side.

Having spent last season on loan at French club Lille, many expected the 30-year-old to be surplus to requirements at Goodison Park. However, after scoring on his return off the bench in an unfortunate 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on December 23, Gomes has subsequently made a clutch of encouraging displays.

The former Benfica, Valencia and Barcelona player has now featured in all of Everton’s last five matches but after a quartet of cameo appearances off the bench, his start in the 1-0 victory over Burnley last time out finished with Gomes’ first full 90 minutes for the club in over two years since the 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup quarter-finals on March 20, 2022 under Frank Lampard. His most-recent full Premier League game was another chastening experience, the 2-1 defeat at bottom club Norwich City on January 15, 2022, that proved to be Rafael Benitez’s last match in charge.

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In terms of looking for the previous time Gomes played the full 90 minutes when Everton won a Premier League fixture, you have to go back over three years for the 1-0 success behind closed doors at West Bromwich Albion on March 4, 2021. Given that the player, who took part in a ‘hug-a-thon’ in his first season to raise funds to for mental health provision in Liverpool, has always enjoyed a close relationship with the fans, it’s telling that the last time Gomes went the distance in a Premier League victory for the Blues in front of spectators before the triumph over the Clarets came in the 2-0 win over West Ham United on October 19, 2019, when compatriot Marco Silva was in charge, some 1632 days before.

But rather than just merely making it to the end of a match that the supporters saw Everton pick up three points in, it was the way in which Gomes went about his business that also caught the eye. On Comparisonator, Sean Dyche’s side are ranked 18^th for the season for passes (347 per game as opposed to leaders Manchester City’s 663) but Gomes still managed to come third among midfielders across the matchday on the A.I. Passing Index with a score of 88.75 behind Luton Town’s Jordan Clark (130) and Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai (103).

Such attributes are to be expected with Gomes though, like his 100% rating against Burnley for successful smart passing and the fact he was the only player in his position in the division that weekend to put through a successful through pass. What might be more of an eye-opener though are some of the playmaker’s impressive numbers when out of possession.

Only Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister (20) could top Gomes’ 16 ball recoveries while he was third with seven ball recoveries in his own half behind Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie (nine) and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (eight). The Everton man also came in third for successful defensive actions with a score of 72%, ensuring he was only edged out by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg of Tottenham Hotspur and the aforementioned Mac Allister (both 74%) while his willingness to put in a shift was demonstrated by winning four loose ball duels which was more than any other player in his position as Rodrigo Bentancur of Tottenham Hotspur and Clark both had three.

While Gomes seemingly doesn’t have a future at Everton beyond the end of his current contract this summer, he is showing that – when fit – he’s doing much more than just treading water and prepared to roll his sleeves up for the fight required during the run-in and add some steel as well as silk in the engine room.

With Dyche revealing that James Garner has picked up a knock but Idrissa Gueye has returned after missing the Burnley game due to the birth of a child and Amadou Onana is also available after injury issues that kept him out against the Clarets, it could be all change for Everton in the engine room at Chelsea but Gomes has demonstrated that whatever the combination might be, he remains in contention.

*Comparisonator is a football data comparison tool from 271 professional leagues around the world which compares players and clubs by utilising over 100 different parameters. Click here for more details.