After a rousing February, the toffees have steered themselves safe of relegation. Unbeaten in the league, it is time to look at the players that stood out as The Toffee Blues have their votes in for Everton’s Player of the Month for February!
JARRAD BRANTHWAITE – SECOND PLACE (1 VOTE)
Only two players received votes for the award this month, and Jarrad Branthwaite is one of those two. The star defender started and played a full 90 minutes in all of Everton’s matches this month, registering a match rating below a 7.0 only once (6.9, Brentford). Of his brightest moments, a rare assist on a fantastic set piece ball that unlocked Beto for the opening goal of the last ever Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park.
Branthwaite has continued to anchor the backline in a way that commands respect and attention. He rates highly in most all defensive categories, having won 69 duels this season, 30 aerial duels, and 16 tackles. He has 22 interceptions and 57 recoveries to boot, alongside an astonishing duel win percentage rate of 62.2%. A large part of keeping two clean sheets and allowing only 6 goals in the last 6 matches, Branthwaite has shown his worth to this Everton side over and over again. Rumors of a new contract abound, and it’s surely the sentiment of all Evertonians that keeping him in the squad next season would be a titanic success.
BETO – FIRST PLACE (20 VOTES)
In one of the biggest landslides in the history of The Toffee Blues Player of the Month, Beto has soared above the rest for the month of February, capturing 20 of the 21 available votes. Of course it is hard not to love what is one of the best feel good stories in the Premier League in the month of February. Having scored only one goal all season, and having been so close to exiting the squad in January, it seemed his time at Everton had become a great question mark. However, an injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and a replacement of manager has set Beto off flying in an unbelievable way. Following a fantastic month, he is up for PFA Premier League Fans’ Player of the Month and the EA Sports Premier League Player of the Month as well.
A brace at Leicester to kick off the month, and then a goal in three straight games in the derby, against Crystal Palace, and another against Manchester United. He then imposed his will on Brentford in the 1-1 draw, but was unlucky to not find a goal securing a 7.2 match rating. His ability to run in behind defenders has been put on display and his joy has immediately improved ten-fold. Not only his ability to wriggle behind backlines, but his hold-up play has seemingly improved leaps and bounds in the last month or so as well. A run of form to end the relegation talks once and for all will always etch a player into folklore, but for Beto it seemingly unshackles him from a deeper burden. A maligned striker that seemingly loves the club become cult-hero and fan favorite, and perhaps a striker the club can build on for the future. An absolutely deserved award, Beto is The Toffee Blues Player of the Month for the month of February.
UTFT!
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