Everton have toiled over the past several years, but the supporters have always taken solace in the cacophonous, intimidating atmosphere of Goodison Park, however, the Merseyside might has dissipated over the past few years.
Last season, the Toffees only boasted better home form in the Premier League than relegated Leicester City and Southampton; this year, Sean Dyche's outfit have fallen to defeat across all three league fixtures on home turf, losing each 1-0.
Arsenal were the latest side to sink the beleaguered Blues, ending a run of five matches without victory at Goodison Park, losing four, and while Mikel Arteta's side had to grit their teeth to steer over the line, they reaffirmed their title-challenging credentials with a deserved victory.
Games played
5
Games won
0
Games drawn
1
Games lost
4
Goals scored
2
Goals conceded
9
Games scored in
1
While Everton demonstrated far greater resilience and desire on Sunday afternoon, it was once again the lack of quality and inspiration that confined Dyche to misery, and with an away trip to Brentford now looming, there will be escalating panic that the club will sink further and further into the mire before the season really gets going.
There were several players culpable for poor performances against the Gunners; Jarrad Branthwaite was not one, dazzling in defence once again and earning praise for his "absolutely fantastic" display from some in the media.
The powerful Abdoulaye Doucoure endured a bad day at the office, but the continuing woes of Idrissa Gueye might prompt Dyche to make an alteration to the starting line-up sooner rather than later.
How has Idrissa Gueye been playing?
Gueye has been something of a stalwart for Everton since joining from Aston Villa for just £7m in 2016, but since re-joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2022, he has started to show signs of deterioration.
Former writer Ell Bretland said: "Honestly, I love Idrissa Gana Gueye. He’s been amazing for Everton, a supreme tackler, massive influence and brilliant at what he does. But we just can’t afford for him to be so wasteful on the ball. He loses possession so often. It’s having an adverse effect in my opinion."
This certainly appears to be the case, the 33-year-old ranks among only the top 42% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, though his defensive acumen is evident through his ranking among the top 2% for tackles, the top 5% for interceptions and the top 11% for clearances per 90, as per FBref.
The Premier League is relentless, it is unforgiving and will suck you up in an instant, but Gueye has cemented himself as a reliable and robust defensive midfielder over the years, but now does appear to be at the epicentre of Everton's issues.
Having started all five of Everton's league fixtures this term, the Senegalese ace has demonstrated his trademark ubiquity, having averaged 2.8 tackles and 8.2 ball recoveries per game, but against Arsenal, his deficiencies were exposed.
Indeed, completing only 72% of his passes and winning just half of his eight contested duels, his lack of control allowed Arsenal to get a foothold and maintain it.
This is not to say he should be binned instantly, but Dyche might be wise to shake things up after such a poor start to the campaign, and with a talented midfielder such as Tyler Onyango waiting in the wings, perhaps it's now time.
Who is Tyler Onyango?
Onyango has been on Everton's books since the age of eight and made his senior debut when he was just 17-years-old, playing in a 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup under Carlo Ancelotti.
His official club profile describes him as a 'skilful, athletic midfielder, Onyango reads the game well and boasts impressive stamina.' Such traits outline him as the perfect man to succeed Gueye.
A former England U17 international, Onyango has enjoyed loan spells with Burton Albion and Forest Green Rovers, though he made just three appearances in the latter stint under former Everton boss Duncan Ferguson after sustaining a detrimental hamstring injury.
He has been involved in the matchday squad for all of Everton's fixtures this term, playing one minute against Aston Villa in the Premier League, and will now be hoping to start earning some action on the pitch as Everton continue to founder.
How good is Tyler Onyango?
While Onyango has not yet been entrusted with a prominent role on the pitch, the regularity of his inclusion in the matchday squad suggests that Dyche holds him in high regard and that the 2023/24 season may well prove to be his breakout year.
A towering midfielder at 6 foot 3, the 20-year-old boasts elegance and intellect on the grass and could provide the Toffees with a much-needed spark to start bringing home the goals – thus far, Everton have blanked across four of their five outings in the English top-flight.
Journalist Adam Jones certainly thinks so, claiming that his "good amount of pace" and "energetic" presence in the midfield makes him a tailor-made fit for life in the Premier League.
It's worth noting that his lofty physique also works to the strength of Dyche's tactical system, with the former Burnley boss implementing a tenacious approach that focuses heavily on winning aerial battles, intense running and enjoying success in attack through making good use of set-pieces and crosses.
Onyango's energy and youthful exuberance could allow him to thrive in the midfield, utilising his technical prowess to instigate attacks before barrelling forward to latch onto swooping balls from the likes of Ashley Young and Dwight McNeil.
Barring a heavy defeat at Villa Park, Everton's defensive work isn't actually too shabby so far this season, and with stars such as James Tarkowski and Branthwaite in front of Jordan Pickford's goal, this could be sustained.
What, yet again, appears to be the problem is the lack of attacking impetus, but Onyango could contribute to an upswing in this regard and it is absolutely imperative that Dyche now considers ousting a struggling ace such as Gueye and deploys the club's Finch Farm graduate to inject some newfound optimism for the side.
