da bet nacional： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
da pinup bet： BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has hailed Andre Gomes after his performance in Everton’s win over West Ham United, suggesting that the midfielder is an essential recipe for success at Goodison Park.
What did he say?
Andre Gomes played a helping hand in the Toffees returning to winning ways last weekend, as the former Barcelona man put in a 7.1 rating in midfield against the Hammers. The 2-0 victory was Everton’s first since Gomes last started for the Blues against Wolverhampton Wanderers seven weeks ago.
Crooks included the Portuguese in his Team of the Week and said, per BBC Sport: “This was an excellent performance by Everton against an in-form West Ham and the catalyst for this performance was Andre Gomes.
“The Portugal international has been badly missed by Everton because of injury but if he can remain fit and Theo Walcott stays focused then anything is possible at Goodison. It is still a great place to play football.”
The main man
In Gomes’ absence, the Blues lost all four of their Premier League matches, conceding nine goals and scoring just two of their own. Now that he has returned, Marco Silva’s team have moved out of the relegation zone and can perhaps finally start to piece together a positive run of form.
Against the Hammers, the 26-year-old made more passes (37) than any other Everton man in the side. Gomes, valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt, achieved an 80% passing success rate and proved to be a vital injection of quality for the struggling outfit, completing one key pass and two interceptions on the way to victory.
Not only will the ex-Benfica man be an essential member of the starting XI moving forward, but his form may also be integral in determining Silva’s future.
Considering Everton lost all four games in his absence and immediately returned to winning ways following his return, it is fair to say his importance in the squad is almost unrivalled right now.