Silva Backs Young Duo To Maintain Form

Everton boss Marco Silva says Dominic Calvert-Lewin offers something different to the Blues attack after the youngster scored his third goal in four days.

After netting a brace in the Carabao Cup victory over Rotherham United on Wednesday night, the 21-year-old was on target again when nodding in the Toffees’ equaliser against Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

While he was deployed on the left of the attacking three behind lead striker Cenk Tosun, Calvert-Lewin was able to get into the box regularly and led the way for his side with three shots against the Terriers.

Silva was happy to see the former Sheffield United man back on the scoresheet and picked out his aerial strength has a key component of his game. 

“It was important for him [to score] and it was what I expect from our strikers,” he told evertontv. 

“When they score it’s always important. I hope and I expect that the goals can come for Cenk and Oumar Niasse as well.

“Dominic is a different player. In the box he’s really strong, when he attacks he can score goals with his head in those moments as well. He can play on the left too as he did on Saturday.”

At the other end of the pitch, Kurt Zouma caught the eye in his first Premier League start for the Blues. 

After signing on loan from Chelsea on deadline day, the France defender made his debut as a late substitute against Bournemouth a week ago, before playing the full 90 minutes against the Millers in midweek.

But a commanding performance – punctuated by a wickedly dipping 35-yard drive in the first half – from Zouma left his manager satisfied.

“It was something we expected,” added Silva. It’s important to him and important for us as well that he can play and give this quality for us. 

“But it is that stability in our game which is something we are trying to find.”

Calvert-Lewin, 21, and Zouma, 23, were just two of six Everton players aged 24 or under that ended Saturday’s game.

The 24-year-old Jordan Pickford, Mason Holgate, 21, and 20-year-old duo Tom Davies and Ademola Lookman were also in the Toffees XI by the time the final whistle sounded.

Silva has called on his youngsters to carry on taking their chances in the first team and has vowed to help them improve.

“These are our players and if they have the chance, they have to show their quality as well,” he insisted. 

“But we are talking about four or five players who are 20 or 21 years old. With the squad we have, there are players around them putting pressure on them [for places], but we are here to support them and to develop their qualities.”