Proud Davies Urges Everton To Build On Huddersfield Win

Tom Davies says Everton must aim to use their victory at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday as the foundation for a strong sequence of Premier League results.

Davies was instrumental in his side’s success at the John Smith’s Stadium, the midfielder surging forward and crossing for Richarlison to score what would be the game’s decisive goal on three minutes.

Indeed, Davies’ assist was the perfect way to announce his return to the team after more than five weeks without a league start.

Everton’s success at Huddersfield, which was achieved despite a 66th-minute red card for Lucas Digne, set up a fascinating clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

The result lifted Marco Silva’s side back into the Premier League’s top-half and kept the distance to seventh-placed Wolves – convincing winners over West Ham United in midweek – pegged at two points.

“We needed the win against Huddersfield, no matter how it came,” Davies told evertontv.


“The circumstances were difficult with having 10 men and I was proud of every single one of the lads out there.

“We will move on to the weekend now and hopefully we can get a good run going.

“Wolves will be a very tough game but I am sure at Goodison we can build on this and we will be working hard in training to do so.

“Then we play in midweek again, so we have a lot of games coming up and it is a chance to get some good results.”

Davies was making his seventh Premier League start of the campaign at Huddersfield and first since Everton's meeting with Tottenham Hotspur two days before Christmas.

Operating in advance of engine-room partner Andre Gomes and granted licence to join Everton’s attacks, the 20-year-old convincingly seized his opportunity to impress.

Davies returned the best passing accuracy figure of any of the game’s 22 starters, his 87.5-per-cent success rate shading the number recorded by accomplished colleague Gomes, who achieved an 87-per-cent mark. Of Davies's 28 precise passes, 16 were delivered in Huddersfield territory, indicative of a progressive display.

The marauding Davies stung home goalkeeper Jonas Lossl’s palms with a firm drive shortly after half-time, the player regularly showing up as an attacking force as he sought to persuade Silva to retain him for the clash with Wolves and subsequent encounter with Premier League champions Manchester City, which is penned in for next Wednesday.


He was switched on defensively, too, completing four interceptions – fewer only than Kurt Zouma’s five – and contesting three tackles. The England Under-21 player covered 7.6 miles, a distance surpassed only by Portuguese Gomes who ran 7.9 miles.

Davies admitted he relished his roving role, with Gomes standing sentry in front of Everton’s back four to release the shackles on his younger teammate and the more senior Sigurdsson.

“I think so [the manager is encouraging him to get forward], me and Gylfi had more of a free role and it seemed to work,” added Davies, who has featured in 69 Premier League matches five months shy of his 21st birthday.

“I was able to get forward and we were doing well in that respect.

“Then after the sending off we dug in and got the win, so it was a good all-round performance.

“It was my first start for a while but it was good to be back out there and getting some game time.

“I am pleased with the performance and a good win.

“That is how I like to play and in this team I was able to do that. The team did well and dug in. We know we can play better but it was about getting the three points.”