Croatia
Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

Everton are surprise leaders in Europe in astonishing feat

talksport.com, 22 December 2024, 18:51
Everton have become surprise leaders in one statistic across Europe thanks to their draw at home to Chelsea.

The Toffees drew 0-0 with the Blues at a wet and blustery Goodison Park on Sunday to extend their unbeaten run to three matches.

Robert Sanchez had a strong performance in the Chelsea net to deny Everton, with one close-range save against Jack Harrison a highlight.

However, Jordan Pickford also did his bit for the hosts to ensure they didn't concede in the difficult conditions.

Everton's clean sheet is their seventh in the Premier League since the beginning of October.

This is the most out of any club in Europe's top five leagues, including LaLiga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1.

MORE ON THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Man United break unwanted 35-year record after Bournemouth collapse sees them hit new low

Goalkeeper spotted wearing unusual glove in Premier League clash - here's why

Furthermore, it's Everton's fifth clean sheet from their last six league fixtures, with a 4-0 defeat at Manchester United the only outlier.

Afterwards, Toffees boss Sean Dyche dismissed the sentiment that his side played an 'old school' style of football to earn their draw.

"There's no old school there, that's new school defending like that," he said to talkSPORT.

"Breaking passing lanes, breaking attacks, you can't do it now from old ways, you've got to do it with the modern tactical side and defending in our shape, working and being diligent to our shape.

Most read in Football

Mohamed Salah achieves Premier League record with assist and surpasses Liverpool legend

Goalkeeper spotted wearing unusual glove in Premier League clash - here's why

Ruben Amorim questioned as 'awful' Man United dismantled by Bournemouth

Gary Neville thinks he knows why Ruben Amorim has dropped Marcus Rashford for third game

"I was very pleased with that again after a good performance at Arsenal from that side of things, and today we've opened up a little bit more and we've found chances.

"It would have been a tough one on them I think if we'd nicked it but we could've nicked, that can happen, and equally it would have been probably tough on us if they would have nicked it. So I think in the end, a point is about right for both teams today."

Dyche added: "We've formed a way of working, at times it's worked for us. Early season, we were out of them habits, we had to remind the players of them good habits and now we've lost two in 12.

"A lot of draws but clean sheets as well, seven in ten, I mean, these are good markers, they're good signs, not easy to do that in the Premier League.

"So a lot of what I'm looking at, certainly the will and desire and the effort of the players is intact. Now can we take it on again and then find that openness to our play and that cutting edge to our play?

"But against these sides, it's not easy you know, they defend well as well. It's not just about them keeping the ball, they defend well as well, so overall I'm pleased with the shift that the players put in again today."

Everton are four points clear of the relegation zone and have climbed to 15th in the Premier League with their draw against Chelsea.

They also have a game in hand following the postponed Merseyside derby against Liverpool earlier this month.

Top News

25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler is close to welcoming back many first-team players ahead of the visit of Brentford to the Amex on Friday. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Brentford to the Amex in one of two games being played after Boxing Day in the Premier League. 25 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham will attempt a 45-year winless run when they face West London neighbours Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Erling Haaland is preparing to leave Manchester City in the summer, with the Norwegian expressing dissatisfaction behind the scenes, according to reports. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final match on a jam-packed Boxing Day in the Scottish Premiership will come from the SMISA Stadium in Paisley, where St Mirren will be playing host to Rangers. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming for a fourth consecutive League One victory at the New York Stadium, Rotherham United welcome Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day, keen to secure maximum points in gameweek 22. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid forward Rodrygo reportedly down a lucrative offer from Manchester City in the summer to stay in Spain. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Boxing Day brings us a bottom-half clash in the Scottish Premiership with Dundee set to take on a struggling Ross County at The Scot Foam Stadium at Dens Park. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk In a promotion 'six-pointer', Huddersfield Town are set to host Stockport County at John Smith's Stadium on Boxing Day in League One. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are supposedly likely to have the chance to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani on loan in January after Bukayo Saka's injury. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two places separate Edinburgh rivals Hearts and Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership table heading into gameweek 19's Boxing Day derby at Tynecastle Park. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk A stuttering Aberdeen will be hoping for some post-Christmas cheer when they travel to the BBSP Stadium Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Thursday. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk As families up and down the country tuck into their turkey leftovers, 20 Premier League teams will be putting on a festive spectacle across December 26 and 27, including eight intriguing Boxing Day battles. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United will reportedly set an asking price of £40m for Marcus Rashford in the upcoming January transfer window. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Embattled St Johnstone will be aiming to end a four-match winless run as they welcome Dundee United to McDiarmid Park for a Boxing Day clash in the Scottish Premiership. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Crystal Palace are prepared to welcome Eberechi Eze back to their matchday squad for the Premier League trip to Bournemouth on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Queens Park Rangers will head to South Wales for a Championship encounter against Swansea City on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The "resurrected" Gabriel Jesus should be Arsenal's first-choice centre-forward over the festive period after his pair of attacking masterclasses against Crystal Palace, according to Gunners expert Charles Watts. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arguably the pick of the Boxing Day fixtures in the Scottish Premiership will see league leaders Celtic taking on fourth-placed Motherwell at Celtic Park. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham manager Marco Silva is facing an injury crisis in midfield ahead of their trip to West London rivals Chelsea in the Premier League on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Noni Madueke will be hopeful of a start when Chelsea welcome West London neighbours Fulham to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bournemouth are set to be without the services of both Alex Scott and Julian Araujo for the visit of Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea and Fulham lock horns in a West London derby at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool could reportedly look to sign Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez in the January transfer window as an alternative to Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to extend their winning run in the top flight to six matches, Bournemouth will welcome a struggling Crystal Palace side to the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayern Munich are reportedly among several European giants interested in signing Borussia Dortmund youngster Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk New Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Vitor Pereira will be reluctant to make many changes from the team that thrashed Leicester City when they welcome Manchester United to Molineux on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Despite recent comments from manager Ruben Amorim, there is little to suggest that Manchester United's Marcus Rashford will be involved in the squad that will face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux in the Premier League on Boxing Day. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United look to make amends for a woeful performance last time out when they go to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day in the Premier League. 24 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur are considering a January move for former Everton defender Ben Godfrey to bolster their defence, according to a report.