Carlo Ancelotti has an easy decision to make in calling on Everton winger Alex Iwobi to stand in for Richarlison against Southampton this Sunday, with the Brazilian suspended.
Richarlison was shown a straight red card during last weekend’s Merseyside Derby for an over-the-top challenge on midfielder Thiago Alcantara, which added another injury to the Premier League champions’ squad after Virgil van Dijk was forced off early in the first half.
Ancelotti will now be without Richarlison for Everton’s upcoming Premier League meeting with Southampton this Sunday, along with the unbeaten Toffees’ fixtures against Newcastle and Manchester United.
Whoever performs well in place of Richarlison at St. Mary’s this weekend will stand the best hopes of retaining the position against the Toon and Red Devils, knowing that Everton will be far weaker without the Brazil international on the field.
Richarlison has only offered one goal in the Premier League thus far this season, but has provided the Blues’ highest number of successful dribbles (16), the second-most assists (two) and contributed the second-most shots (16) though only directing three on target, per WhoScored.
Iwobi should stand as a strong candidate to deputise for Richarlison against Southampton this weekend, despite Ancelotti only calling on the Nigerian to start one fixture across all competitions and earn the remainder of his 219 minutes through various cameo outings.
His sole start came in September’s 5-2 win over Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup, in which Iwobi scored and assisted while penning his only Premier League assist in October’s 4-2 win at home to Brighton.
Ancelotti called on Iwobi to enter the action in the 25th-minute against the Seagulls following an injury to Richarlison, and stated earlier in the year during Project Restart that he still has a great deal of confidence in the 24-year-old.
“I changed him against Tottenham because he had a little problem with his hamstring,” Ancelotti told The Guardian in July. “Against Southampton, I changed him to put more energy on that side and above all to change the system to a line of five.
“It is true he didn’t score, it’s true that he can do better sometimes, but it’s also true that I have a lot of confidence in him.”
Iwobi was later touted as one of several players whose futures were in doubt on Merseyside, with the Mirror suggesting he and teammate Moise Kean could head an exodus of outcasts should Director of Football Marcel Brands receive decent offers.
Everton signed Iwobi from Arsenal for an initial £28million just last year in a deal that could reach £34m, and was awarded a £50,000-per-week, five-year contract, but only featured nine times under Ancelotti following a hamstring injury sustained in December.
Ancelotti could now look to offer Iwobi his first start of the current Premier League season with Richarlison unavailable, given the Nigerian’s form in his substitute appearances only trails James Rodriguez for big chances created per 90 minutes.
Across Everton’s opening five Premier League matches, Rodriguez’s has averaged a team-high 1.07 big chances created per 90 to Iwobi’s 0.86 and Gylfi Sigurdsson’s 0.53. Richarlison, meanwhile, ranks just sixth with 0.23, and has offered a lower output for key balls than Iwobi with 0.94 to the Nigerian’s 1.71, per SofaScore.
Where Iwobi’s limited game time has hindered his output is in crosses with zero recorded to date, though he offered an accurate delivery with every one in four crosses in the top-flight last term while beating opposing players with 62% of his attempted dribbles.
Ancelotti will no doubt miss Richarlison in Everton’s next three games, but his absence will offer Iwobi a great opportunity to impress.
AND in other news, a permanent transfer could be imminent for a £1.44m-rated Everton man after his latest comments.