Everton: Sean Dyche frustrated despite xG being ‘though the roof’

Everton manager Sean Dyche told his players to shape up in front of goal after another day of frustration.

Everton have had a higher expected goals figure (xG) than their opponents 17 times in the league this season but have lost six and drawn five of those games.

“You can’t say every week about xGs because it’s through the roof again. You have to go and score a goal,” Dyche told Sky Sports.

“I’m frustrated because we’re doing good stuff.”

Everton had 22 shots, with half of those on target and an xG of 2.7 overall, but, in a familiar trend this season, came away from the game without anything to show for it.

In five league home fixtures this season they have had at least 20 shots, only to lose three of those games.

“Too many games have got away from us at Goodison. We can’t keep creating chances and not killing a game off,” Dyche said.

“The pressure is on us now to score goals. I can’t keep standing here and talking about xG.

“We create golden chances, we don’t take them and they had two chances and scored them both.”

The stats behind Everton’s hard luck story

Based on the quantity and quality of chances they have had this season, Everton should have scored 13 more goals than they have, according to xG statistics.

This makes them by far the most wasteful team in the league.

Everton had a golden opportunity to score from the penalty spot when Kurt Zouma was deemed to have handled inside the area after an intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR).

Beto became the 31st player to take a Premier League penalty for Everton, and the 23rd to fail to score one, with only Arsenal (24) having more players to miss from the spot.

Additionally, Everton seem to bring the best out of against opposition goalkeepers.

According to statistics website whoscored.com, the performance of West Ham’s Alphonse Areola (9.74) was the highest by a Premier League goalkeeper this season.

In fact, the top three rankings for performances by keepers this season have also come against Everton, with Wolves’ Jose Sa (9.42) and Fulham’s Bernd Leno (9.11) just behind Areola.

“We can’t say the goalkeeper is playing well. It’s on us to score goals. Otherwise we are not going to win football matches,” Everton defender James Tarkowski said.

“We are having many of these days here at the minute. We have to take ownership.

“We create chances, defend well, but just don’t put the ball in the back of the net. It comes back to punish us. We didn’t put the game to bed.

“The penalty, four or five great opportunities… In this league you get punished and that’s what happened today.”