Everton might only have secured their first Premier League victory of the season last weekend, but the mood around the club was good even before that point.
Frank Lampard has managed to harness the positive energy that shot up at the end of last season and brought it into the current campaign, with Blues supporters clearly seeing progress on the pitch and the emergence of an identity that many can get excited about.
New signings have been brought in over the course of the summer and added much-needed quality in important positions, while other players have stood up to the challenge of fighting for their places in the side. But how have they all rated in the opening eight matches of the campaign in all competitions so far?
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We've gone through the Everton squad and given each player a rating for the campaign so far. We've set a limit of having at least two appearances, ruling out a fair few names, and also left out players who have already departed from the club - meaning Dele Alli doesn't qualify.
Jordan Pickford - 8
Everton have conceded the second-fewest amount of goals in the Premier League so far. The defence has certainly played a part in that, of course, but let's not take away from the continued brilliant influence of Jordan Pickford.
England's No.1 has proven why he's exactly that in his first matches of the campaign even if he did pick up an injury that has ruled him out of the current international break. His performance against Liverpool, particularly, was stunning, with a string of world-class saves to set the base for what was a strong Blues display that afternoon.
Asmir Begovic - 7
Being a second-choice goalkeeper is often not an easy task. There's a lot of pressure on your shoulders to step into the role when the No.1 is injured, and you realistically won't have had much game-time under your belt to pick up a rhythm beforehand.
However, Asmir Begovic proved on Sunday, in particular, that he is a very safe pair of hands to step in when Everton need him. He made some vital stops against West Ham United to keep a strong clean sheet, proving the club right in extending his deal in the summer.
Nathan Patterson - 8
Having waited a while for his first Premier League opportunity thanks to an injury last season, Nathan Patterson has grabbed his chance with both hands at the beginning of the current campaign while Seamus Coleman has been ruled out through injury.
The Scotland international is certainly living up to that position in the squad with some excellent displays, not just showing off some strong attacking instincts but proving crucial as part of a solid back four as well. Evertonians are clearly excited about where he can take his game from this point.
Mason Holgate - 7
After what was a difficult period of time for Mason Holgate, the arrival of Frank Lampard really seems to have brought a new lease of life to the defender's performances. Perhaps not quite to the level of someone like Alex Iwobi, but the defender's improvement shouldn't go under the radar.
Unfortunately injury has kept him out of recent matches, but he put in a string of solid performances at the beginning of the term to prove himself a dependable option as part of the back line.
Michael Keane - 6
He's seen his appearances limited so far over the course of the season, with his only game in the Premier League coming from the bench against Brentford. He did start in the League Cup against Fleetwood Town, however, to get some minutes under his belt.
Increased competition in that area of the pitch has left Michael Keane on the sidelines thus far and that might be exaggerated further in the future with the likes of Holgate, Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina all coming back from injury in the coming weeks and months. It might be interesting to see how much game-time Keane picks up.
Conor Coady - 8
He might have joined the club on loan as a Liverpool supporter, but there's little doubting he's a Blue now. Conor Coady has fit in to the Blues side expertly with some brilliant performances, even defying the doubters by showing he can certainly line up in a back-four.
In particular, the leadership qualities that the Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee has displayed in his opening matches have been excellent, typified by him being named captain against West Ham on Sunday. For a loan player, that's a brilliant achievement.
James Tarkowski - 8
A free transfer after his contract expired at Burnley at the end of last season, it's now obvious why Lampard was so keen to bring James Tarkowski to Goodison Park this term. He wanted to make his defence stronger and more robust, and the centre-back has certainly helped achieve that.
He reads the game extremely well, he's good in the air, he often throws strong challenges in and he's first in line to stand up for his team-mates in any given scenario. He's embraced everything that it is to be an Everton player so far.
Vitalii Mykolenko - 8
Excitement was already high surrounding Vitalii Mykolenko heading into the current campaign after what was a brilliant end to the previous season. And, thankfully, he's managed to keep those performances at a very high level across 2022/23 so far.
Granted there are still attacking aspects to the Ukraine international's game that can still be improved upon. But his defensive work, his fitness, his dedication to the shirt and his humble nature are all huge positives that have made him a firm favourite at Goodison Park.
Ruben Vinagre - 6
Thanks to the strong form showed by Mykolenko so far this season, Ruben Vinagre has seen his opportunities limited while on loan from Sporting. However, in the appearances that he has been afforded, there have certainly been promising signs.
It's tough to judge how much of an impact the wing-back might have over the course of the campaign as of yet but he provides different qualities to his team-mate in that position. That could prove very important in the future, and is perhaps one to keep an eye on.
Tom Davies - 7
There has been a lot of increased competition in many areas of the pitch for Everton over the course of the summer and central midfield is certainly no different. Perhaps Tom Davies can count himself a little unlucky that he was dropped to the bench on the weekend, however.
Against Leeds United and Liverpool, particularly, when playing as part of a three in the middle of the pitch, the academy graduate showed off his versatility with very good displays. It's clear he will be an important member of this squad going forward, and he'll be fighting hard to regain that place in the 11.
Abdoulaye Doucoure - 7
Injury has unfortunately limited Abdoulaye Doucoure's time on the pitch so far this season, with only two starts under his belt in the opening pair of matches. Because of that, it's a little tough to judge his performances.
In the game against Chelsea it might have been his mistake to give away the penalty but aside from that his display was the best he's produced in a little while for the club. He'll be another desperate to earn his place back in the side.
Amadou Onana - 8
As starts to a Premier League career go, Amadou Onana's had been very good. Many, quite understandably, believed that the midfielder would need more time to truly settle into his new role at Goodison Park - but he's instead caught the eye with some very good displays.
What is arguably most exciting, however, is that there's still clear room for progression for the summer signing. He's versatile, he's up to the level of the Premier League already, and it will be very interesting to see how well he can push on from here.
Idrissa Gueye - 8
He might have only had just over one game so far on his return to Everton, but it's clear to see the influence he will have on the rest of the side. He's improved during his years at Paris Saint-Germain, especially in terms of his command in possession.
Alongside that he still possesses his tenacious desire to press high up the pitch, along with the positional intelligence and awareness to be a solid defensive base in front of the backline. Fingers crossed he can continue in this manner over the rest of the season.
Alex Iwobi - 9
What do you even say about Alex Iwobi that hasn't already been mentioned? His transformation into a fan favourite at Goodison Park has been stunning to witness and all of his performances this term have been right at the top of his game.
Moulding into a central midfield role, playing in either a two or three in the centre of the park, the Nigeria international has set the example for those around him. Industrious, intelligent, energetic, hard-working and creative - what more could Blues be asking of him right now?
Dwight McNeil - 6
The majority of Dwight McNeil's time on the pitch so far at Everton unfortunately came when the side were without a striker, and it's no surprise to see that affected his ability to create opportunities in the final third.
What can certainly be praised, however, is his work-rate and his ability off-the-ball, which sometimes could well fly under the radar. There's room for improvement for the summer signing, but no reason to suggest he won't carry on in an upward trajectory.
Anthony Gordon - 8
After a summer of intense speculation surrounding his future, it's a testament to the attitude of Anthony Gordon that he has been consistently strong at the beginning of this season. He's bagged two important and classy goals against Brentford and Leeds United in that time, too.
Pressure might be on the youngster in some sense to continue his improvement in output for both goals and assists. However, confidence will no doubt be high that he can achieve that as his work ethic and determination for the shirt are still so good.
Demarai Gray - 7
Demarai Gray has also bagged two goals so far this season, with one of his coming to save a point against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and the other sending Everton through to the third round of the League Cup with a 1-0 victory over Fleetwood.
The nature of a winger is that often performances fluctuate, and he's perhaps another who has struggled with the Blues not having a lead striker for the majority of the campaign. However, he's clearly a very talented player and if his output improves throughout the campaign then it will be great news for Lampard.
Neal Maupay - 8
He could have scored his first goal for his new club against Liverpool on his debut, but he did find the back of the net in very confident fashion against West Ham United. The outpouring of emotion from both the player and the fans showed that his strike was a just reward for the hard work he has already shown at Goodison Park.
Neal Maupay is certainly a different style of striker to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and he's wasted no time in showing off those qualities so far. Evertonians will hope that he can continue that trend in the coming weeks and months.
Salomon Rondon - 5
Having been suspended for the opening weekend of the campaign, Salomon Rondon has still seen his opportunities limited throughout the rest of the season even when he did become available.
The fact that he was often left on the bench while a natural winger led the line for the side perhaps pointed towards his standing in the squad. The arrival of Maupay and the return to fitness of Calvert-Lewin are likely to limit his chances further.
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