4 Liverpool players who can take advantage of a glaring Everton weakness

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Everton have a glaring weakness in their side that Liverpool could take advantage of. Here are four players up to the task.

Everton are a strange team. For starters, they’re performing well below what their stats suggest – going from xG, the Toffees should be 8th. Instead, they’re 14th.

But when you look into their defending, it’s easy to see why they might struggle. Or at least, that there’s a weakness certain teams can take advantage of to disrupt them.

Everton sit 2nd in the league for interceptions, 7th for successful press percentage, and 6th their tackling percentage. All are great numbers (per FBref).

Bizarrely, though, no team has been dribbled past more. 11 times per 90 on average – no one tops that and it’s despite them not being bad at tackling. They’re actually quite good.

It suggests there’s always space to run into as Everton defend one-on-one more often than they should. Opponents fancy their chances at dribbling past Everton players. The better your players are at it, then, the more luck you’ll have.

So here are four players we believe can trouble Everton and this apparent weakness.

Liverpool to target Everton weakness?

Mohamed Salah

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. As we established in this piece, Salah is probably the best dribbler in the Premier League.

Only one player has created more shots through dribbling (Adama Traore) and no one has created more goals (5). Salah is the standout across the entire league and if Everton give him space, he will seriously trouble them.

Diogo Jota

Jota created two shots for Liverpool through dribbling last season. He’s already at seven this season, with only Traore and Salah above him in the Premier League.

In fact, he’s created two Liverpool goals through dribbling past players. It’s not one we particularly saw coming but the 25-year-old is developing a strength here.

Andy Robertson

Robertson isn’t a magnificent technical dribbler. What he is, however, is someone who can consistently push past players with the ball.

Only Salah and Sadio Mane carry the ball into the box more often. He is undoubtedly a huge threat on the counter and if Everton leave him space, the Scot will find it.

Sadio Mane

Bizarrely, Liverpool haven’t had a single shot in the Premier League this season from a Mane dribble. But he’s still a huge threat.

Salah is the only dribbler at Liverpool who gets past his man at a better rate and the only one who gets into the box more. Mane’s numbers are down this season but he’s still a massive problem.

Thiago

Something different here. Thiago isn’t really someone who wants to dribble past players. Instead, he’ll use a drop of the shoulder to resist a press and move forwards with the ball.

He’s exceptional at it – in fact, we’d call it his trademark. If Everton do leave him isolated against a defender, Thiago will run the midfield with that move alone.