Alex Iwobi has been one of Everton’s shining lights so far this season, attracting plenty of praise for his early season standout displays.
He entered this campaign shrouded by scrutiny given that his Everton career has failed to really take off since arriving from Arsenal in the summer of 2019 for £34million. In the two seasons since, he’s failed to truly cement himself with a role or position inside the Everton's starting 11.
Nor Carlo Ancelotti or Marco Silva before him seemed truly convinced or trusting of the Nigerian star, yet it’s been the opposite for Rafael Benitez who has utilised him in all three of Everton’s competitive matches so far this season.
And he’s rewarded the Everton boss with a goal and assist across that sequence, a solid return in terms of goal contributions, although there could have been more, but for better finishing in moments such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s one vs one chance away at Leeds which came about thanks to an exquisite through ball from the attacker.
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Though Iwobi has often flattered to deceive on the surface, his ability to create chances has actually been an ever-present consistency within his game.
Last season, he finished third in terms of having the highest average across the Everton squad when it came to shot-creating actions per 90.
A shot-creating action is defined by FBref as one of two attacking actions that lead directly to a shot on goal, such as a dribble, pass or winning a foul.
Notably though, the only players to outperform Iwobi in this regard were key set-piece takers at Everton last season. Therefore if we filter the above down to shot-creating actions per 90 via only open play passes, the 25-year-old ranked top.
Despite the above, it’s hard to ignore that the same didn’t translate into goals and assists last year - he managed just one of each in the Premier League.
Furthermore, underlying numbers only tell some of the story, whilst those watching the attacker in recent seasons will have seen his struggles in the areas not always captured with data, things such as being indecisive on the ball, guilty of taking too many touches or misplacing crucial final third passes.
Although it’s only over a short period of games, Iwobi looks to have improved in these areas, which could tie in with the growing confidence he’ll have as a result of the trust shown to him by Benitez.
If he can use this strong early start as a springboard for a good campaign, then he could yet illustrate that he can be a key player for Everton for years to come.
