Everton gem who left in 2023 is now "insane" and outscoring Dwight McNeil
Everton have endured an interminable period of struggle in the Premier League but might just be heading toward a new era of success, with the Friedkin Group on the cusp of purchasing Farhad Moshiri’s majority stake.
The 2024/25 campaign kicked off with four successive losses in the top flight to cast a gloomy setting over Goodison Park, but a draw at Leicester City has been followed up with a turnaround victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League to lift Sean Dyche’s side out of the relegation zone.
The Merseysiders are indebted to Dwight McNeil’s fast start to the season, with the winger turned number ten thriving in his new role.
Dwight McNeil's recent Everton form
It’s been a bit more than two years since Everton signed McNeil from Burnley for a £20m fee. The playmaking winger had risen to first-team prominence with the Clarets – under Dyche’s wing – but had failed to save them from relegation, and was understandably allowed to move to a Premier League side.
He’s chalked up 14 goals and 12 assists across 88 appearances for the Toffees, but is really starting to come into his own this season as he moves away from left wing to a more central attacking midfield role, flourishing.
Indeed, the 24-year-old has bagged four goals and two assists across eight matches, already surpassing last year’s haul of three goals from 41 matches in all competitions.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 6% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and the top 15% for progressive carries per 90, emphasising his efficacy in driving the play forward and making things happen with his ball-playing.
McNeil has outscored Dominic Calvert-Lewin so far in 2024/25, with the centre-forward’s salvaged fitness levels allowing him to lead the line across all six of Everton’s top-flight matches this season, bagging two goals and claiming one assist.
The towering talisman might have only posted a modest return at best, but his restoration is such a bonus for the Blues in their quest to preserve top-flight status.
Believe it or not, there’s a former Everton player, sold not too long ago, who’s outscoring both of the aforementioned this season, and he did it all in just one game.
Tom Cannon is on fire for Stoke City
We’re talking, of course, about Tom Cannon, who put four past Portsmouth in the Championship on Wednesday evening in what was unquestionably the performance of the 21-year-old’s fledgling career.
Plying his trade with the Potters this term after leaving Leicester City on loan, Cannon will feel that his career is now starting to take off, having moved to Leicester from Everton last summer for roughly a £7.5m fee.
A natural-born goalscorer, Cannon excelled at youth level for Everton but failed to break into the first team despite impressing while on loan with Preston North End in 2022/23. His talent was recognised by Leicester, however, and the Liverpool-based side were happy to turn a profit.
Tom Cannon: Career Stats by Club
Club
Apps
Goals
Assists
Everton U21
55
22
5
Everton U18
42
29
9
Preston North End
21
8
1
Leicester City
16
3
2
Stoke City
5
4
0
Everton
4
0
0
Stats via Transfermarkt
Hailed for his “insane” performance against Portsmouth by Stoke correspondent Pete Smith, the aptly-named Cannon fired them in like howitzers to lift his loan outfit into 14th place after six fixtures, curbing a three-game losing run. Portsmouth, back in the second tier after years away, remain winless.
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As per Sofascore, the young gun showcased a skillset that stretches beyond that of a ‘poacher’, putting in a performance of a rounded and dynamic nature.
On top of his four-goal haul, Cannon succeeded with his one attempted dribble, won the penalty. that he converted for his hat-trick, completed 81% of his passes and won seven of his 11 contested duels.
Everton must rue cashing in on the talent, especially since the small fee recouped for his sale in 2023 was put toward signing Beto from Udinese in a deal worth up to £30m.
Moreover, compounding the issue, Calvert-Lewin’s contract at Goodison Park is set to expire at the end of the campaign, and though Armando Broja was welcomed from Chelsea in August on a loan deal that could become permanent, the Albania international has yet to feature as he recuperates from injury and, having endured extended spells on the sidelines in the past, perhaps can’t be entrusted with the role of focal frontman just yet.
Cannon, however, is proving that he has the goalscoring prowess to succeed in the Premier League, ranking as he does among the top 6% of strikers across divisions similar to the Championship for goals scored and the top 9% for through balls per 90.
That latter metric is particularly interesting, speaking of a passing game and enterprise in his movements that could prove to be tailor-made for Dyche’s system, dropping deep and getting stuck in but also boasting the pace and power to drive forward and get into promising positions, where he can lash shots past the goalkeeper and into the net.
Given that, on Tuesday evening, Cannon outstripped both McNeil and Calvert-Lewin for goalscoring this season despite the promise shown from each of Everton’s star forwards this year, it might come to be a well-known fact that Everton suffered a massive blunder when letting their young and talented forward, Cannon, leave for a small fee.
He’s got the quality to become a major player.
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