Moyes’ new Bowen: £40k-p/w star had his best game in an Everton shirt

Everton added another emphatic victory to their growing collection this season, climbing to eighth in the Premier League standings at the season’s midpoint.

This time last year, the mood was low as Sean Dyche’s tenure fell apart, but the Friedkin Group appointed David Moyes, and the rest is history.

It was Dyche’s Nottingham Forest side who fell to the depleted Toffees on Tuesday evening, with the win at the City Ground underlining a number of players who stepped up and took their chance before the New Year.

The players who stepped up vs Forest

James Garner opened the scoring for Everton before 20 minutes had been clocked; Thierno Barry worked as hard as ever and was rewarded for his spirited performance with a goal, his second for the club after scoring in the reverse fixture against Forest at the start of December.

They weren’t the only ones who stood out for a Merseyside outfit missing many star players: Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye are at AFCON, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jarrad Branthwaite are among the injured personnel. Jack Grealish started from the bench.

But the likes of Merlin Rohl and Nathan Patterson enjoyed morale-raising efforts, while Dwight McNeil teed Garner up from the left flank and Tim Iroegbunam won six duels, as per Sofascore in a battling midfield display.

How far could Everton go this season? Keep this up, and fans will start dreaming of a new platform to do battle next season.

This was a game which showed that Everton are more than just their superstars, Grealish and Ndiaye. However, there was one squad player who showed he can become one of the main men, perhaps even Moyes’ new version of Jarrod Bowen.

Moyes' new version of Jarrod Bowen

Bowen was on the scoresheet as West Ham drew to Brighton on Tuesday. How Moyes must wish he had him at the Hill Dickinson. However, in Tyler Dibling, the veteran coach might just have his new version.

The 19-year-old Dibling joined Everton from relegated Southampton for a deal in excess of £40m last summer, but he has struggled to nail down a place thus far.

Still, the fast and artful attacking midfielder has grasped his chance to shine in recent weeks, completing four dribbles and winning six duels, as per Sofascore, during the draw at Burnley after Christmas.

There’s a real player in there, just waiting to take the next step. Content creator Matty Turnbull called him a “Jack Grealish regen”, but he has the potential to become a hero of Bowen’s cut for a Moyes-led team.

It’s a perfect example of statistics failing to paint the full picture. The one-time Chelsea academy star was awarded a 7/10 match rating by The Liverpool Echo, but in truth, it could have been higher, with his fleet-footedness on full display.

Here we got a chance to see Dibling’s talents, and he already looks more sure and silky than when he first touched down in Merseyside, hooked at half-time against Crystal Palace on his first league start in October.

Given that he has been noted as a “world-class talent” by former youth coach Andy Goldie, Dibling does have what it takes to become Moyes’ new version of Bowen.

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Across the Scotsman’s long and storied managerial career, no one has recorded more goal involvements than the 29-year-old, with 61 goals and 40 assists clinched across 202 appearances.

Dibling has a long way to go before he might be considered in the same breath, but now the £40k-per-week talent is showing that he has the potential.

Dibling arrived from Southampton as something of a marquee buy, big money and big expectations after shining so brightly in a wretched Southampton side.

He’s flattered to deceive, but he’s young and inexperienced. Against Forest, we saw the England U21 international begin to show his worth, perhaps telling Moyes that he has his next Bowen on his hands.

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