Gylfi Sigurdsson put in a creative masterclass of a performance against Southampton on Saturday.
The Icelandic international looked every inch the No. 10 that Everton shelled out a club-record wad of cash for a year ago. The Goodison Park faithful will be hopeful that this performance is an early sign that new boss Marco Silva is capable of getting the best out of Sigurdsson.
When the 28-year-old is at the top of his game, then he is capable of dictating the momentum of matches near single-handedly. Against Southampton, Sigurdsson was unplayable at times as he consistently cut through the Saints’ defence to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Often, the only measure Mark Hughes’ men could resort to in order to stop Sigurdsson was fouling the attacking midfielder. Sigurdsson was brought down five times in the match, more than any other player on the pitch.
When he wasn’t being fouled however, Sigurdsson was doing what he does best – making chances. His six key passes made him the most creative player on the park and it was only due to the profligacy of his teammates that he didn’t register an assist.
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Despite primarily operating within a central berth, the Everton man was free to find new spaces and drift out wide. He proved himself equally effective when providing from the flanks too, as three of his crosses connected with a Toffees’ head. Again, no other player, on either side, was able to deliver so many accurate crosses during the match.
Whilst Sigurdsson’s passing was demonstrably inventive and incisive, with the ball at his feet he wasn’t afraid to beat his man either. Only Richarlison completed as many successful dribbles as Sigurdsson for Everton, with both players registering two completed take-ons.
It was not only in going forward that Sigurdsson was so impressive though, he showed himself to be both willing and capable of doing his own fair share of defensive graft too. His three interceptions are a great indicator of how hard he worked to defend from the front and how effective he was in pressing and harrying opponents on the ball.
If Sigurdsson can perform to this level consistently throughout the season then his big price tag will start to look more and more like a bargain.
