Everton: Is It Time For David Moyes To Unleash Hayden Hackney?

There aren't many positives to take from the Chelsea defeat, but one question keeps coming up among Evertonians: why isn't Hayden Hackney playing more?

Everton have one of the toughest trips of the season on Saturday, away at the champions. Arsenal have won six of their seven league games, so David Moyes has a big decision to make in midfield.

Hackney seems the obvious answer for a lot of fans. In reality, it's not quite that simple.

On paper, Hackney is exactly the type of player Moyes has made a career out of previously. Bringing in players from the lower leagues was his forte at one point, but Hackney has struggled to make a significant impact.

Speaking to the club this week, he said: "We spoke about that a lot. It makes sense. He's done that in previous years, and the players have gone on to become Premier League-proven players.

"That's something I want to do. I want to prove myself in the Premier League and become an established Premier League player, and then, who knows what can happen."

He also called Everton "the perfect fit", adding: "There's a new generation of young players, a new stadium. It's exciting times, and I want to be a part of it."

Sparingly. Hackney has made six Premier League appearances, but only one of them was a start, on the opening day against Crystal Palace, when he played 79 minutes in a 2-0 win. Since then, it's been cameos.

The standout was against Manchester United. He came off the bench to assist Tyrique George's equaliser, then got involved in the build-up to Ainsley Maitland-Niles' stoppage-time leveller. According to FotMob, his 17.4 line-breaking passes per 90 minutes are the most in the squad, and that's something Everton have lacked in the middle of the park this season.

Against Chelsea, he didn't get on at all. Moyes turned to Christian Norgaard late on instead, which was a baffling call with Everton chasing the game and Norgaard clearly short of match fitness.

One of Everton's biggest problems against Chelsea was in midfield. There was no progression from deep and a real fear of playing through the middle. James Garner and Harrison Armstrong both worked hard, but neither offered much on the ball, so Jack Grealish and Thierno Barry were left isolated.

That's exactly where Hackney comes in. He's a progressive passer who wants the ball, takes it under pressure and looks to play forward. In the club's matchday programme he described his game himself: "I think I can offer different qualities to try to affect the game by passing forward and running forward with the ball."

At the Emirates, Everton will spend long periods without the ball. When they do win it back, they need someone who can get them up the pitch instead of just launching it at Barry. Hackney could be that player.

This is where it gets complicated, and it's the part of Hackney's game that he can struggle with.

He isn't great defensively, and often leaves holes in midfield. When he steps forward to press or carry the ball, there's space behind him that Everton haven't always covered.

Against Arsenal, though, Everton's midfield is going to be deep and compact anyway. Even with Garner and Armstrong in there, Everton still leave plenty of gaps, so you do wonder whether bringing in Hackney would make a negative impact anyway. 

Moyes is likely going to want the more defensive options in Garner and Armstrong, which does make some sense.

Hackney is the right player for certain situations, and it does feel like Arsenal won't be one of them. 

The competition is difficult. Garner is Moyes' most trusted midfielder, and Armstrong has been one of Everton's better performers this season. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall brings goals from midfield. Norgaard is still working his way to fitness, and Charly Alcaraz is another option off the bench.

Realistically, Hackney would be coming in for Armstrong or Garner, which means breaking up the double pivot that Moyes clearly relies on to protect the back four.

Is it time to unleash Hackney? Yes, but probably not from the start at the Emirates.

Away at the champions, Moyes is going to prioritise structure over everything else. Throwing in a midfielder whose biggest weakness is protecting central zones is a risk he's unlikely to take.

The bigger issue is that Hackney should be the first midfielder off the bench on Saturday. If Everton are chasing the game again, there's no excuse to leave him sitting there like against Chelsea.

Then, with Newcastle twice in four days next week, there's a case for him to start both of them.

£16.5m was spent on the Championship's best player. At some point, Everton need to find out what they've actually got.