Sean Dyche insists confidence is not an issue with Neal Maupay as Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s continued injury woes force the Everton manager to persist with the French striker.
Both Calvert-Lewin and Maupay – Everton’s two senior centre-forwards – have just one goal apiece all season but with the Blues boss still refusing to put a timescale over when the former will be fit again, simply saying “he’s recovering” when asked about the England international’s fitness status ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Arsenal, the latter looks set to lead the line again at the Emirates.
Maupay scored at least eight Premier League goals in each of his three full seasons at previous club Brighton & Hove Albion, including 10 in his first campaign with the Sussex outfit, but his winner in the 1-0 victory over West Ham United back on September 18 remains his solitary strike so far in 19 outings in all competitions for Everton since joining them for an undisclosed fee understood to be in the region of £15million on August 26 last year.
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Dyche said: “It’s making the chances and waiting for one to go in. As long as Neal’s in there trying to take them.
“At the end of the day, you get in there often enough, one will go in. It goes in and it releases the weirdness of it and the noise of it, then you’re off and running.
“It can change quickly for strikers. I was a defender and the ones I used to worry about were the ones who hadn’t scored in a while.
“Before a game you would say ‘stats and facts suggest you will score if you’re a striker’. As long as you keep giving it to them they will score.
“It’s not far away from him, I can assure you. If the stats are what you’re suggesting, round the corner should be goals for him as long as he keeps going into the key areas of the pitch.”
Dyche remains satisfied that Maupay is getting into the correct positions and believes the midfielders within Everton’s team can do the same to help spread out the scoring responsibilities. He said: “Neal has come in here as a striker trying to forge his way and that can be difficult.
“He’s worked very hard from the games you’ve seen, his pressing from the front is good, his shape has been good for the team. He’s been getting in there and I’ve said in these press conferences over the last few weeks, they only get a question mark from me if they’re not getting in there.
“He had another couple on Saturday, he’s had a header that flashed across, one that just gets under his foot when he could turn in the box, second half Alex Iwobi plays a great ball into him and he’s six or seven yards out. They’re the moments when you have that freedom and you’re scoring regularly that it’s there.
“But you have to earn the right and he keeps getting in the right areas and that’s really important. I’m encouraging the wide players to get on the back post, Alex (Iwobi) can add that to his game, getting on the far post from good crosses especially on Saturday from Dwight McNeil.
“Amadou (Onana) getting into the box, header on Saturday and the keeper makes a great save, these are weapons for us and we want to continue to add that. Neal plays his part, or Simmsy, when we think it’s appropriate.”
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