Alex Iwobi has pathway to Everton redemption after Frank Lampard decision

The performance of Alex Iwobi proved to be one of the biggest Everton talking points from last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Leeds.

The Nigerian was a surprise inclusion within Frank Lampard’s starting 11, having not started for the Toffees since mid-December.

Lampard revealed the start came as a reward for the great level he’d trained at since the former Chelsea boss had come into the club two weeks ago.

"One of the beauties of coming in two weeks ago is it's a restart, a reboot for everybody.

I'm open-minded to players, all of the squad, and what Alex has done is he's trained at a great level.”

Iwobi has suffered an inconsistent Everton career since his arrival in 2018, yet at his best, he’s an excellent attacker who can carry and dribble the ball through tight areas inside the opposition’s half.

We saw plenty of this on Saturday as Iwobi’s excellent display was captured by the fact that no Everton player finished the game having made more dribble attempts (five), or more progressive carries (eight) than the 25-year-old.

While this proved hugely beneficial to Everton in possession, it was more so the work that the attacker did off the ball that attracted the majority of the plaudits for his display.

Everton’s approach to the game was clear from the outset, to aggressively press and harry the visitors, giving them no time in which to settle on the ball.

It’s the sort of tactic we can expect to see more of from the Toffees as Lampard establishes his principles at the club.

In the 3-0 win, Everton made more pressure in the attacking third (76) than they’d managed in a single game since December 2018, and Iwobi was a big contributor to that.

The former Arsenal man made a total of 46 pressures, which was more than any