Everton’s struggles in front of goal continue.
On Sunday, the Toffees were beaten 2-0 by Nottingham Forest at Goodison, mustering just two shots on target, creating zero opta-defined big chances and accumulating a miserly xG figure of 0.89, all according to Sofascore.
This though is not a new problem, given that the Blues have failed to score in seven of their nine outings since the start of November while, during this period, two of their five goals have been scored by Craig Dawson, who plays for Wolves.
On a more macro level, the Toffees have now failed to score in 38% of the league matches Sean Dyche has taken charge of. Only under one of 26 permanent managers in the club’s 146-year history has this figure been higher: 48% under Mike Walker, who was manager for just 31 league games in 1994.
Having won only eight Premier League games in 2024, the club’s lowest in a calendar year since 1997, Evertonians everywhere will be hoping for better in 2025.
Assessing Everton's attacking options
For so long, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been Everton’s talisman, the high point of his career being the behind-closed-doors 2020/21 season, scoring 21 times across all competitions, while only five players bagged more than his 16-goal haul in the league.
However, fair to say he’s not been able to rediscover this Midas touch subsequently.
Statistic
20/21
21/22
22/23
23/24
24/25
Appearances
33
17
17
32
18
Minutes
2,871
1,283
1,165
2,171
1,323
Goals
16
5
2
7
2
Goals per 90
0.50
0.35
0.15
0.29
0.14
Goals- xG
-0.3
-1.5
-3.8
-5.9
-2.6
As outlined, Calvert-Lewin scored 16 goals during the 2020/21 season, as many as he has managed in the subsequent three and a half seasons combined; he averaged a goal every 179 minutes during that campaign, a figure that’s since skyrocketed to a goal every 371 minutes since.
Last season, his goals- xG figure of -5.9 was the lowest in the division, for reference, that’s 0.6 worse than both Darwin Núñez and Brennan Johnson, who had the next-lowest figures, which, in layman’s terms, means he was the most wasteful attacker in the Premier League.
Calvert-Lewin’s current goals-per-90 figure of 0.14 is the lowest of his career, underlining that the Toffees can no longer rely on him as a regular source of goals.
Instead, the Toffees’ joint-top scorer this season so far is Iliman Ndiaye, most recently on target against Manchester City on Boxing Day, equalising as his side earned a credible draw at the Etihad.
The 24-year-old has previously spent time at non-league clubs Boreham Wood and Hyde United, before joining boyhood club Olympique de Marseille from Sheffield United for £14m in the summer of 2023.
Then, after just one season at Stade Vélodrome, he moved to Everton for £17m in July, and is currently proving to be a bargain.
So, could the Blues return to Ligue 1 as they seek further attacking reinforcements in January?
Everton could repeat their Ndiaye success
According to a report by Foot Mercato earlier this week, Everton, Galatasaray and Bayer Leverkusen are all interested in signing Olympique Lyonnais striker Georges Mikautadze.
The Georgian forward caught the eye at last summer’s European Championships, scoring during all three of the debutant’s group stage fixtures, thereby sharing the tournament’s golden boot, with Jacek Kulig from Football Talent Scout describing him as “a true icon in the making”.
Last season, Mikautadze scored 14 times for Metz, a key figure as les Grenats remained in Ligue 1 via the relegation play-offs, earning him an €18m (£15m) move to Olympique Lyonnais, rejoining his home-town club, having been born and raised in Lyon.
However, les Gones are in a perilous financial position, having been provisionally relegated to Ligue 2, with their debt currently at €508m, needing to raise around €100m (£86m) by the end of this current financial year in June to avoid being expelled from France’s top-tier.
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Thus, the seven-times Ligue 1 champions must sell players in January to avoid this unfathomable punishment, with Mikautadze one of those up for sale, so could Everton take advantage of Lyon’s misfortune and swoop in for a top-quality centre-forward?
Having already reaped the rewards of landing Ndiaye from France’s top flight, snapping up the Georgian – who boasts seven goals in 21 games in 2024/25 – could represent another astute piece of business.
With Calvert-Lewin failing to fire and approaching the last few months of his contract – amid interest from Newcastle United – the Toffees could help to send the Englishman packing by getting Mikautadze in the door.
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