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Under Dyche, Everton are often comfortable ceding possession and territory, operating in a 4-4-2 mid-block without the ball – a shape they spend a lot of time in, given league-low average possession share of just 38.4%. Typically, this means that we see McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin spearheading the press, with a focus on blocking central passing options and steering the ball wide, rather than aggressively pushing to regain possession. Once play has been forced out wide, the ball-side winger, full-back, central midfielder, and centre-back work together in a small group to close down the opposition and contain the play.
This out of possession approach of directing play wide, rather than winning the ball back high, is represented in Everton’s PPDA (Passes per Defensive Action) figures, where Dyche’s side again rank lowest in the division at 15.12 – allowing the opposition a high number of passes in their own half before a defensive intervention.
This approach helps Everton prevent the ball from arriving in dangerous central areas around the edge of the box while naturally encouraging opponents to cross more frequently from those wider positions. This tactic plays directly into Everton’s hands, with strong aerial defenders like James Tarkowski (71.1% aerial duel success), Michael Keane (60%), and Jarrod Branthwaite (68.6% in 2023/24) well-equipped to handle these situations in the box.
With players like Idrissa Gueye, Abdoulaye Doucouré, Orel Mangala, James Garner, and Tim Iroegbunam patrolling the midfield, Dyche’s side can also be confident about their chances of winning second-ball duels.