Dyche must ditch Everton ace who had fewer touches than Pickford vs Chelsea

Everton suffered a huge blow in their bid for Premier League survival on Monday night, falling to a humiliating 6-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Four goals from Cole Palmer, and one each from Nicolas Jackson and youngster Alfie Gilchrist secured a convincing win for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, with the Toffees failing to take advantage of Luton Town and Nottingham Forest’s results last weekend.

Sean Dyche’s side now sit just two points clear of Rob Edwards’ side, who occupy the last relegation spot, but have a crucial game in hand in the battle to maintain their top-flight status.

The defeat was bad enough for Everton, but the game came with further setbacks, as defenders Nathan Patterson and Jarrad Branthwaite both limped off injured – as did captain Seamus Coleman.

It could come at a cost, with Dyche’s side facing a huge meeting with fellow relegation battlers Forest at Goodison on Sunday afternoon, with the trio potentially missing the clash after their respective woes last night.

However, Dyche must drop one player for the fixture, especially given his below-par display against the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Monday.

Ashley Young’s stats against Chelsea

During the defeat, Toffees defender Ashley Young produced an unacceptable display, with the 38-year-old one of several players who failed to make a positive impact on the encounter.

Within his 90-minute performance, the former Manchester United man only managed 23 touches – a tally that was ten less than goalkeeper Jordan Pickford who achieved 33 during the defeat.

Young also only managed to complete six passes against Pochettino’s side at a completion rate of just 67%, also losing possession 12 times – as the veteran struggled to create any opportunities in a more advanced role.

In his last three starts for the Toffees, he’s been deployed at right-midfield to provide more protection to the full-back, but last night’s display is evidence that he’s unfortunately past his best, especially given his age.

He only managed to win one of his 11 duels that he contested at Stamford Bridge, only achieving a completion rate of 9% with Young conceding three fouls in the process of trying to regain possession for Dyche’s side.

He was awarded a 4/10 rating by Liverpool Echo journalist Chris Beesley, with the Toffees player one of seven who received a rating of lower than five after the embarrassing loss.

Why Young must be benched for Forest clash

As previously mentioned, Dyche’s side host Nuno Espírito Santo’s side at Goodison on Sunday in a huge meeting for both sides as they aim to secure their Premier League survival.

However, Young should be benched for the meeting, with the club needing to try and put pressure on the Reds’ defensive frailties if they are to claim all three points.

Forest have conceded 58 times in the league this season, with the Reds struggling to deal with sides who apply constant pressure on their backline so far this season.

With Young primarily being better suited to a full-back role, Dyche should look to remove him from the starting lineup and replace him with Jack Harrison, with the winger’s pace and direct dribbling potentially causing problems for Forest’s full-backs.

Although he’s only managed to complete 21 dribbles this campaign, his direct play could cause Nuno’s side havoc, with his abilities more suited to an advanced role than those of the former England international.