Everton ace Iliman Ndiaye can stick a nail in Lopetegui coffin after what happened at West Ham
Edson Alvarez has picked one of the worst possible games to serve his suspension for West Ham United when they face Everton on Saturday.
The Mexican’s second red card of the season means he will miss the weekend clash at the London Stadium [9 November], and will significantly scupper Julen Lopetegui’s strategy to stop Iliman Ndiaye.
Ndiaye has been their best performer this season, and where Alvarez’s game excels is to prevent direct, ball-carrying operators such as Everton’s summer signing.
Advantage Everton against West Ham as Edson Alvarez banned
Alvarez has been far from reliable for the Hammers this season – there aren’t many after all who can claim that without a smirk.
However, where the deep-lying midfielder plays his best football is to halt the likes of Ndiaye in their tracks.
This season, Alvarez – who has been in and out of the side, sometimes through suspension – has executed more defensive actions in the past 365 days than 95% of players in his position in Europe’s top leagues [Fotmob].
FBRef data shows that so far in 2024-25, he has pulled off an average of 4.22 combined tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes of play, superior to every regular in the squad except Guido Rodriguez (4.32).
He has also lost just 0.22 challenges per 90 minutes this term, compared to teammates Carlos Soler (2.22), Rodriguez (1.6) and Mohammed Kudus (0.95).
In the Everton camp, Sean Dyche will be hoping to once again unleash Ndiaye to excellent effect, a player who has completed 76 successful take-ons in the past year and leads the way in progressive carries for his side with 33 just this season [FBRef].
This towers over the direct effect on the ball of any of his Toffees teammates, Dwight McNeil (20) and then Jack Harrison (17) the only others in Dyche’s squad totalling double figures for this statistic.
Without Alvarez in the hub of the midfield, despite his difficult moments this season, Lopetegui has a job on his hands containing a player who if not stopped could run riot.
In other West Ham news, a former Hammer slams Tim Steidten for signing Niclas Fullkrug.
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