46 touches; 10 duels won: Everton star Idrissa Gueye immense in City draw

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Everton drew 1-1 against Manchester City this weekend.

Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye had arguably his best game for the Merseyside club since joining in the summer as he contributed greatly to his side’s battling 1-1 draw at Manchester City.

The Toffees have performed well since the arrival of new boss Ronald Koeman, yet Pep Guardiola’s City side posed them their most difficult task of the season thus far and they proved they are up to the challenge.

The Citizens dominated proceedings and missed a penalty before Romelu Lukaku put Everton ahead, and in the second half shot-stopper Marten Stekelenburg saved another spot-kick before Nolito finally equalised.

The Everton goalkeeper had without doubt one of the best games of his career, yet he was not the only one in the visiting side to put in what can only be described as a defensive masterclass.

As shown by the table provided by Opta, holding midfielder Gueye also stood out for the visitors as he contributed in a number of key defensive areas and played a big role in his side’s share of the spoils.

The Senegal international joined Everton to the surpise of some having suffered relegation with Aston Villa last term, yet thus far he has more than justified his arrival at Goodison Park.

Against City he posted an impressive two interceptions, three effective clearances, five tackles, eight ball recoveries and a whopping ten defensive duels won over the course of the 90 minutes.

In possession he was calm and positive, looking to help Everton set up counterattacking situations.

While Guardiola may feel his side should have won the game on the balance of play, the visitors’ excellent defensive display warranted a point and it is another step in the right direction for Koeman.