Everton’s youth might provide much-needed goals. Everton struggle to score goals; this is not a fresh or deep remark. The Premier League’s second lowest scoring team last season, only ahead of rock-bottom Sheffield United, certainly needs to find a method to score more frequently. Everton fans have been hoping for more goals from Calvert-Lewin and Beto, who combined for only 10 league goals last season.
There is hope, almost frantic hope, that new arrivals Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom, as well as any other summer signings, can help Sean Dyche’s attack. If the team’s goal-scoring performance does not improve, that hope may be transferred to striker Youssef Chermiti. Buzz is growing around the 20-year-old as more skill and promise emerge, suggesting that the Portuguese forward might become a more valuable asset this season. Given that the striker was bought from Sporting Lisbon last summer as an unknown to most supporters, the club was still firmly relying on Calvert-Lewin to lead the line and had also added fellow Portuguese striker Beto; Chermiti’s arrival appeared to be a long-term investment.
Everton’s ongoing striker troubles may indicate that the player’s signing is now regarded a near-future, if not current, possibility. Last season, Calvert-Lewin and Beto’s consistently dismal performances, which included missed chance after lost chance, appeared to be insufficient to persuade the management to give Chermiti more than the few minutes off the bench he received. The teenage striker’s initial season in the Premier League was spent as an unused replacement or in a quick cameo while the side was trailing.
Chermiti’s only league start came in an April 1-0 victory against Brentford at Goodison Park, and it was due to Calvert-Lewin and Beto’s injuries. Despite living off scraps throughout his time at the club, Everton fans have seen enough to be enthusiastic about the player’s potential and will hope for more opportunities in the future season.
Chermiti, Beto, and Calvert-Lewin’s comparable builds and playing styles make them easy to compare. All three strikers take use of their size and remarkable quickness while facing defenders. While all three rely on their skills of excellent hold-up play and quick dashes in behind, Chermiti’s relentless energy and off-ball movements have stood out as a feature that distinguishes him from his more experienced teammates.
Given the attributes that the Goodison audience frequently seeks in a player, it’s no surprise that Evertonians have taken to Chermiti. The Everton fans enjoy the forward’s relentless energy and willingness to come off the bench. His drive to press defenders and seek loose balls reflects the young man’s good mentality and bodes well for his future. Despite few opportunities last season, Chermiti’s desire to impress never seemed to wane.
The goal of gaining more minutes in his second season is already off to a great start. The forward scored twice in Everton’s first pre-season friendly against Sligo Rovers, securing a draw in a game in which Dyche’s other three strikers, Calvert-Lewin, Beto, and Neal Maupay, did nothing to impress.
Chermiti had shown plenty of determination and flare in his previous 208 minutes in an Everton shirt, but he finally demonstrated his finishing skill to Everton fans last Friday. Fans are enthusiastic about what else the 20-year-old has in store after scoring his first goal with a brilliant flip from close range and his second with a refined finish into the bottom corner.
This season may be restricted to one of displaying promise, but the forward should expect more opportunities in his second season. All of Everton’s strikers will be trying to improve on last season, but Chermiti’s goal will be to move from ’emergency back-up’ to ‘alternative’ and give Dyche a bit more of a selection issue when deciding who to lead the line.
Given Everton’s other strikers’ poor form and unknown futures, Chermiti can be more than simply a talented young forward; he can also provide a ray of hope for the club’s troubled striker department.
