What has so been so striking about Rafa Benitez’s Everton side is the way they’ve defied the critics since he entered Goodison Park.
The Spaniard arrived back in Merseyside surrounded by controversy after comments he made about the Toffees over ten years ago.
However, he has guided his team to a mightily impressive start despite a blip over the last seven days.
They lost to QPR and Aston Villa but after defeating Norwich 2-0 on Saturday afternoon, they are a point off top spot in the Premier League.
Andros Townsend confirmed his place as Everton’s top scorer by finding the net from the penalty spot and then Abdoulaye Doucoure scored following smart work by Demarai Gray.
All three of those players have been exceptional this term, namely the wide players who have netted seven goals between them after their summer arrivals.
They have already outperformed Alex Iwobi and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they usurp his goals tally for the club in just a matter of months.
Iwobi cost Everton £34m back in 2019 but has only beaten the goalkeeper on five occasions after joining from Arsenal.
Townsend (four goals) and Gray (three goals) are already beginning to outmuscle the Nigerian despite an accumulative price tag of £1.7m.
They were brilliant against the Canaries but Iwobi stuttered again, just as he has done throughout the vast majority of his Toffees career.
The winger was incredibly poor against QPR a few days ago, completing just 75% of his passes and winning only 22.2% of his defensive duels.
There was a slight improvement against Daniel Farke’s side this weekend but he still flattered to deceive in Everton’s attack.
The £100k-per-week earner completed 92% of his passes on this occasion but he was still a lightweight in physical battles, losing out 60% of the time.
Furthermore, he could only complete one dribble in a display where his decision making left plenty to be desired.
Ultimately, that has been one area of the 25-year-old’s game that has continuously let him down. He can beat a player and get into the penalty area but his end product is tame and lacks authority.
Iwobi is no longer a young player; he is a senior professional who needs to begin showing more to Benitez. At £34m, he has been a waste of money; they must focus their attention on bringing someone else into the team.