Two 4's: Everton's Player Ratings After 2-2 Draw With Hull City

Everton have picked up their fourth draw of the Premier League season as they remain unbeaten in all competitions. 

Heading into the international break, the Toffees put themselves in a strong position. Nine points from their opening five games were more than respectable, especially considering they were yet to lose. 

The international break can be a daunting time, and a difficult one if you head into it in bad form. Naturally, negativity, or perhaps just controversy, took over in the days before the international break ended, with The Friedkin Group confirming that they were looking to sell the club.

Despite that, Everton picked up a 2-2 draw away at Hull City, in a game that they might have been expecting to secure three points from, given how it panned out. 

There were some poor individual performances, and not too many strong ones. Let’s get into the player ratings.

Jordan Pickford didn’t have a lot to do, in reality. His distribution was decent, but there’s no doubt he could have done better for Hull’s second goal. 

Pickford made just two saves, both of which were fairly comfortable, but it was a weak effort when trying to keep out Mohamed Belloumi’s strike.

His poorest game since his summer move to Everton. Maitland-Niles made a mistake from Hull’s opening goal, but it looked as though he bounced back quickly when setting up Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for an equaliser. 

Despite that, he made another mistake to allow Hull to work the ball into the box for their second. 

His overall performance outside of that wasn’t atrocious, but it’s difficult to give him much higher due to the mistakes. It would be lower if it wasn’t for the assist.

Not the best game for James Tarkowski. Failed to track the run of Joe Gelhardt for Hull’s opening goal. Some sloppy moments in possession. 

Did make a lot of defensive contributions, though. More than anyone on the pitch, in fact. Reasonably solid outside of Hull’s first goal. 

His performance in isolation wasn’t bad, but Everton just don’t seem to play well when he’s in the team.

He averaged 1.15 points per match in the Premier League, the lowest of those to have played over 1000 minutes. That can’t be a coincidence.

Quite comfortably his poorest game for us this season. Looked to be carrying a bit of a knock, and just didn’t look comfortable all game. 

Got done for Hull’s opening goal, and should have done better for the second. 

Playing him out of position and breaking up his and Tarkowski’s partnership didn’t make much sense.

A bit of a nothing game for James Garner, it felt like. Had lots of the ball, possibly more than he’s ever had in an Everton shirt, but wasn’t threatening or dangerous with it. 

Did okay defensively, but again nothing special. Hard to remember too many key moments from him.

Started really poorly in my opinion, but grew into the game. A little sloppy in possession, but covered ground well, as usual, and was strong defensively. 

Everton often get caught out through the middle which can look like his fault, but I think it’s a role he’s tasked with doing rather than him himself.

Really disagreed with the decision to start him, but I don’t think he did loads wrong. It’s just that he didn’t do a lot.

Failed to take anyone on, didn’t have much of the ball in dangerous areas, wasn’t a threat in behind due to Hull’s system.

Not an awful game, it just didn’t make a lot of sense to play him in this one. 

Talk about a game of two halves. That second-half performance was bordering on a nine out of 10, but the first half really let him down.

Ended the game with a goal and an assist, and just generally drastically improved after the break. He was very sloppy in possession in the first half and made some poor decisions, but he looked to play more like the Dewsbury-Hall of last season in the second 45 minutes.

Perhaps a harsh rating given his second half, but have to take into account the first.

Offered very little on the left-hand side in comparison to the amount he had the ball. More touches than any other winger in the game, but failed to take on a single player.

Two chances created, but other than that, we really need more from him.

He slows the game down a lot, which is fine if he’s creating chances and making things up. Against Hull, that wasn’t the case. 

Such a strange one with Thierno Barry. Should have had at least two goals before finally finding the back of the net. 

Actually thought his overall play was really good. Looked after it up top, won so many battles. 

Barry won more duels than any other player on the pitch (12) and more aerial duels than any other player in the Premier League this whole season (10!). 

Of course, he should have scored more. But, he’s getting into the right areas, which usually means goals will come - and they did, in the second half.

His goal was superb, too, and showed great desire to get there.