It was a long summer without Everton football club in our lives. Lots of work needed to be done in the transfer window, and the last details of Hill Dickinson stadium needed to be sorted before the new Premier League season kicked off. As August closed Everton capped off a very productive summer, and are of to a nice start in the Premier League with a hope to continue it after the first international break of the season.
Transfer window recap
Everton had a very busy summer, and it went all the way to deadline day with comings and goings at the club. Everton ended up bringing in nine players to bolsters the first team squad this summer. Two of the biggest transfers both brought in during August have made the biggest impact in the early part of the season. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish have made quite an impression in their first month at the club. Dewsbury-Hall with a goal already and Jack Grealish with four assists and a nomination for Premier League player of the month in August. Everton also wrapped up the long Tyler Dibbling saga after landing the talented teenager late on in the window. Dibling has loads of potential, so it’s a very exciting summer that could pay off very early on. Everton also made a deadline day signing to sure up the midfield. Merlin Röhl joined the club from Freiburg. Another young player with lots of potential, and position flexibility as well, it’s a good signing to give David Moyes another option in the midfield. There were some players who left the club as well, some on loan and other gone permanently. Maybe a surprising one Youssef Chermiti left on deadline day on a permanent deal to Rangers. Chermiti never really got a chance to showcase his skills at Everton, and maybe with regular starts at Rangers he can tap into his potential again. Harrison Armstrong went out on loan to Preston North End at the end of the window as well. Armstrong is right on the cusp of being a first team squad member, but needs regular playing time to keep his game sharp. He could be an important player for Everton next season.
Match Recaps
Everton had four matches in the first month of the new season. Three in league play and a cup match in the league cup competition. Everton started their season away from home against newly promoted side Leeds United. It was easily Everton’s worst match of the month. The blues just never really got their feet under them. Second to every ball, losing all the 50/50 duels, bad passing, not creating chances, it was all pretty terrible. Not that Leeds were that much better, they were just doing a better job of holding the ball. It didn’t take very long for Everton to be subjeted to their first dodgy penalty call in the season. Late on a ball was struck outside the Everton box, it took a deflection and was headed right towards James Tarkowski. Tarky saw the ball coming put his arm behind his back and tried to lean down and chest the ball. The ball struck his arm and the referee decided that because he leaned into the ball it was a penalty. It went to VAR, but of course it was confirmed and Leeds scored the penalty and took all three points. A painful first match of the season for Everton
The pain did not last very long however. The following week Everton player their first ever competitive match at Hill Dickinson stadium. A monumental day for the club, and it could not have gone any better. A pretty resounding 2-0 for Everton to open their new ground. Iliman Ndiaye scored the opener for Everton, making him the last to score a goal at Goodison Park, and first ever goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium. A huge accomplishment for him personally. Despite his historic goal, he was outshined by new boy Jack Grealish. Grealish had both assists on the Everton goals, and he was unbelievable all match long. Clearly the bets player on the pitch that day. James Garner scored the second goal that day. A screamer from outside the box after a perfect layoff from Jack Grealish. The toffees played incredibly well and earned a 2-0 victory to open their new home.
The Wednesday after Everton began their Carabao Cup run with a home match against Mansfield Town. It was another first for Hill Dickinson stadium, first match under the lights. Just as a disclaimer, I live in the United States and Carabao Cup matches are only available through the streaming service Paramount+. That is not a streaming service I have so I was unable to watch this match. From all accounts it was a pretty comfortable 2-0 win for Everton. Charly Alcaraz scored a great goal to open the scoring in the 51st minute. Beto added a very late insurance goal in the 90th minute to see Everton through to the next round. After the match Everton drew Wolves away for their next match.
The Final match of the month was away at Wolves. A high scoring affair that saw Everton come away with all three points in the end. Everton jumped out early on Wolves. Beto scored with just seven minutes on the clock, after some nice work from Mykolenko and Jack Grealish Beto’s header found the net and Everton were up early. The lead didn’t last long though. After a ball played down the right side by wolves was cut back well into the box and it found the run of Hee-Chan Hwang perfectly and the striker mad no mistake and scored with his first touch, It was really a goal from no where and the score was leveled. Everton found the next goal after a great team build up. Grealish found Dewsbury-Hall who passed it back across the box, Beto dummied the ball to Ndiaye who had a tap in at the back post. The score would stay 2-1 going into the half. After ten minutes played in the second half Everton found their third goal. Great link up play between Dewsbury-Hall and Grealish, with Grealish playing a great through ball into the box. Dewsbury-Hall gets there before his defender and sends his first touch effort into the roof of the net at the near post and Everton were suddenly up 3-1. Wolves would find another goal late in the second half, once again pretty from nothing at all. A hopefully ball into the box by David Møller Wolfe that looked like it would be easily cleared. Rodrigo Gomes reacted before all the Everton defenders and thumped it into the net setting up a nervy final 10 minutes for Everton. Gomes could of, and perhaps should of had the equalizer in the 94th minutes, but his effort went wide, and it was the last good chnace Wolves had and Everton won 3-2.
Everton ended the first month of play sitting 5th in the table going into the first international break. Two really good performances, and one horrific one. Everton have two tough matches to kick off September. A match against a desperate Aston Villa side looking for their first points and first goal of the season. After that the first Merseyside derby of the season a Anfield. If Everton can defeat Aston Villa to start the month they will be going into the derby with all the confidence that they can beat the reigning Premier League champions.
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