Everton fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, but one man who can walk away with his head held high is Alex Iwobi - who continues a spectacular revival of his career.

The Nigeria international was instrumental in the few good things that the Toffees managed and shouldered most of the offensive and defensive burden of the team.

Although Amadou Onana will earn plaudits for his impact off the bench, it is Iwobi who will leave Villa Park knowing he left everything out on the pitch once more.

Earning a 7.2 SofaScore rating, he was Everton’s highest-rated performer and unsurprisingly their best player by some way on the day.

His midfield battles with seasoned general John McGinn were incredibly even, as he won five of his six (83%) ground duels, suggesting that he certainly did not get overrun by Steven Gerrard’s midfield.

Iwobi also provided two key passes, one of which was a fine curling delivery which surely would have been powered home had the Blues had an orthodox striker up front rather than Demarai Gray.

His passing in general was impressive, as he aimed to link the defence to the fragmented attack. He completed four of his six long passes and averaged an 80% pass success rate. He tried his best to create for a blunt Everton side.

Elsewhere, the £100k-per-week maestro also recorded a 100% dribble success rate and was 100% accurate with his crossing, further suggesting that despite his keen defensive work he was his side’s only real creative outlet.

His impressive SofaScore rating now means that despite only having played two games, both of which were losses, he is the club’s third highest-rated player.

With each passing game, he proves why it was such a stroke of genius to shift him into central midfield, as his workmanlike performances only solidify his stance as one of the better ball-winning players in the league.

It makes for a worrying sign for Allan however, who sees his role become less secure by the week.

Labelled an “absolute monster” not too long ago, his recent performances in royal blue only serve to support this notion.

Whilst Iwobi was on the losing side once again, he stole the show for Everton in his new position. Hopefully, in the coming weeks, the team can raise their level and work rate to his.