Moyes must unleash Everton’s next Andy Johnson

Everton and Liverpool do battle in the Premier League this evening, with David Moyes looking to use his side’s three-match winning run to strike a cutting blow to his counterpart’s title challenge.

Though Bournemouth beat Everton in the FA Cup last weekend, the Blues have rediscovered themselves in the wake of Sean Dyche’s dismissal, dispatching Tottenham Hotspur (the 3-2 scoreline doesn’t reflect the manner of the win) and Leicester City at Goodison Park while narrowly beating Brighton on the South Coast.

Of course, Moyes will meet the sternest test of his second tenure at Everton in Arne Slot’s Liverpool, who will extend the gap at the top of the table to nine points with a win this evening.

This fixture was rescheduled in December after the whipping winds of Storm Darragh caused its cancellation. Everton are comfortably above the relegation zone, but a win here would propel the Toffees into mid-table talk.

It certainly won’t be easy though. Liverpool haven’t lost on the road in the Premier League this season and boast one of the most talented and balanced teams in Europe. Further to that point, Everton are nursing several injuries.

Everton team news

Everton are missing a range of first-team stars as they head into the Merseyside derby, with issues in attack. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Armando Broja, Youssef Chermiti and Dwight McNeil are all ruled out for the foreseeable future.

Moreover, Orel Mangala’s season is over after sustaining a knee injury at Brighton at the end of January. The Belgium international’s loss is offset somewhat by new recruit Charly Alcaraz, who stood out on his debut at the weekend.

There are also issues in defence. Seamus Coleman is still unavailable and Vitalii Mykolenko is a doubt. This could force the 39-year-old Ashley Young into a left-back role, which is a problem unto itself given that Moyes has revealed that Nathan Patterson is sidelined with a hamstring tweak.

Everton will have to endure, soak up pressure and attack on the counter. Luckily, there’s one forward in particular who will be ready to inflict damage on Liverpool, perhaps in a similar way to one Andy Johnson.

Time for Everton’s new Andy Johnson to hurt Liverpool

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp described Illiman Ndiaye as “dynamite” earlier in the campaign, with the winger’s pace and potency down the flanks causing all sorts of problems for opponents.

He was a bright spark through the Dyche-led months but has taken his game to another level now that Moyes is at the helm, striking home in all three of Everton’s recent Premier League victories.

Ndiaye, who can play across the frontline, isn’t just a goalscoring component either, with the 24-year-old averaging 2.5 dribbles and 6.3 successful duels per top-flight game this season, as per Sofascore, making a firm comment on his suitability for the looming fixture.

With such a dynamic and electric set of skills, the Senegal star could be the bane of Liverpool’s evening, perhaps proving to be Moyes’ next version of one-time Toffees sensation Andy Johnson.

In August 2006, Moyes signed Johnson from Crystal Palace for a club-record £8.5m fee, providing Everton with some fresh firepower up top.

He scored 17 goals and added eight assists across two Premier League campaigns for Everton, but the brace in a 3-0 victory over Liverpool in 2006/07 is undoubtedly the highlight of his time on Merseyside.

Johnson followed Tim Cahill’s opening goal with a cool finish of his own before half-time, capitalising on Jamie Carragher’s mistake. He would double his tally in injury time, adding insult to injury as he nodded in after Pepe Reina fumbled from Lee Carsley.

Ndiaye is more of a wide player than Johnson was but his explosive pace does offer similarities to the former Three Lions star, ranking among the top 8% of Premier League positional peers for successful take-ons per 90 this season, as per FBref.

A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.

Ndiaye’s crackling style could be the perfect way to sink a high-flying Liverpool side, leaping forward on the counter and handing Everton one final Derby Day memory before Goodison Park closes its gates.

Especially since Alcaraz is in the mix and could start his first Premier League game for Everton. The attacking midfielder showed against Bournemouth that he can drop deep and control play when called upon, but his combative energy could be vital in unsettling the Reds backline, also stretching Ryan Gravenberch, and creating openings for Ndiaye to shift through and into space.

Hailed as “one of the biggest talents” to have come from Argentina in recent years by scout Jacek Kulig, Alcaraz certainly brings a fresh dimension to Moyes’ midfield and perhaps could be the difference-maker, unlocking Ndiaye and ensuring that Liverpool do not leave Goodison with all the points.

It’s doable. Liverpool are not infallible, have shown themselves to be susceptible to drilled and resistant opponents this season. Moyes has the tools in his locker to make it a historic evening for his Everton side, and with attacking outlets such as Ndiaye and Alcaraz on the field, the hosts could make it a tough evening indeed for their hostile guests.