‘Do you know how hard that is?’ Gabby Agbonlahor thinks £30m Everton star ‘deserves’ to be in the TOTW

Everton’s win over Ipswich Town on Saturday was so routine that they took a two-goal lead into the first half and rarely looked like letting it go.

   Twice this campaign, Everton manager Sean Dyche has been forced to watch his side rise to such heights, only to promise them defeat.

   It wouldn’t be like that last weekend, as they were too street, and the hosts just couldn’t get enough.

   Ipswich felt they should have had a penalty against Everton, but other than that they rarely threatened.

   Their sharp attack can be largely attributed to the excellent performance of the £30million man.

   Everton player named in Premier League Team of the Week
   Speaking to talkSPORT yesterday, Gabby Agbonlahor combed through this weekend’s Premier League action to pick out the best players.

   And as he took his seat on the back row, the Everton star made a surprise appearance.

   On naming Michael Keane, the former Aston Villa striker admitted: “The next defender is Michael Keane. 

   “He’s had a lot of negativity since he came to Everton, some of his performances haven’t been great but he’s stepped up recently and been really good, especially Branthwaite who’s out, he and Tarkowski have had some decent games recently and  got a big clean sheet.

   “He parried most of Ipswich’s attacks. And the way he scored his goal, I don’t think it’s a defender’s goal. Do you know how difficult that is? Weaker foot into the roof of the net. Great finish from Michael Keane and he deserves to be in the team of the week.  “

   Michael Keane’s performance against Ipswich Town in numbers

   The stats from Keane’s display at Ipswich Town certainly back up Agbonlahor’s point, with the defender not only getting his second goal of the afternoon but also staying solid at the back.

   The former Burnley player clearly hides an impressive footballer but has been on the unfortunate end of too many high-profile mistakes over the years.

   Clearly someone who thrives on confidence, regularly lining up for an Everton side that never quite settled, has checked his time in royal blue.

   Unsurprisingly, under Carlo Ancelotti, when the club seemed to heal and move towards real development, he enjoyed his best football.

   But he shone again on Saturday, adding seven clearances, a block, an assist and a tackle to his tally via SofaScore.

   And that’s not to mention his ability in possession, as he maintained a 90% passing accuracy, lost possession just four times and hit the target with five of six long passes.

   It was a great performance on the back of Kean, who deserves a lot of credit for such performances given all the scrutiny he was subjected to when he fought.