Idrissa Gueye pounced on a loose ball to slam a shot into the top corner of the Gwladys Street net — a goal that would seal Everton’s Premier League survival.
For the second time in less than a week, he raced to the touchline after scoring to celebrate with Amadou Onana and Arnaut Danjuma.
The trio and midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure are close – devout Muslims who pray and spend time together off the field, too. Onana hoisted the diminutive Senegal midfielder onto his shoulders, while Danjuma pointed in his direction — a sort of ‘he’s the man’ kind of gesture. At full time of the 1-0 win over Brentford, Danjuma did the same again, pointing to Gueye and pushing him in front of the rapidly encroaching TV cameras.
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Plenty of figures deserve credit for Everton’s survival in the face of two separate deductions, totalling eight points, for profit and sustainability rule breaches. Sean Dyche, the manager who has steered them successfully through the turbulence, is definitely one. Countless others on and off the pitch have played their role, too.
But Gueye has been an unlikely hero for Everton in this relegation battle, joining a list of players including Barry Horne and Gareth Farrelly who came through unexpectedly in important moments.
In this case, a player who had scored only once since rejoining from Paris Saint-Germain for a nominal fee two years ago ended up netting twice in a key week to help pull his side over the line.
The 34-year-old may not score many goals, but when he does, they tend to make a difference. As well as his winner against Brentford and his opener against Nottingham Forest, he also scored a late winner away to Crystal Palace in November. Those points have helped Everton overcome the deductions to secure their Premier League status with three games to spare.
“I know how good a finisher he is,” defender James Tarkowski said of Gueye after Saturday’s 1-0 win over Brentford. “He’s constantly doing it in training and from probably further out into the top corner as well. This (strike) was a lot simpler for him, but it was brilliant for him to get two goals this week.”
That new-found prowess in front of goal is not, in truth, why he was signed. Gueye’s reputation is as a prolific ball-winner, adept at snuffing out attacks. Someone of Champions League pedigree who, Everton’s due diligence in the summer of 2022 showed, was yet to exhibit signs of wear or a drop off in his physical output. He is in the side, first and foremost, to anchor the midfield and help guide Everton through choppy waters.
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The challenge for Dyche’s team after the 6-0 capitulation against Chelsea this month was to stabilise and it is in these moments that Gueye becomes even more important, showing all his know-how and experience.
Some of this is about style — Dyche’s team normally have a lower share of possession than their opponent — but the veteran is in the top one per cent among his divisional peers for ball recoveries and in the top seven per cent both for tackles attempted and tackles won. There have been some notable giveaways since he returned to Goodison, but on the whole, he has been a calming influence on the ball as well.
“He’s been massive,” Tarkowski said. “He’s so good at what he does for us. Reads the play so well, intercepts, takes the ball.”
In a recent interview for the Everton matchday programme, Gueye had spoken about the need to “give everything” to get the team over the line. His allegiance goes back to his first spell at the club between 2016 and 2019. At Paris Saint-Germain, he would often watch events as they unfolded at Goodison with his team-mates and send messages of support to Seamus Coleman, among others, imploring them to keep the club up.
Now he has played a pivotal role in another Everton relegation battle. A profitable seven days ended with three home wins, including a memorable derby victory, nine points, and a big exhale of breath. Job done.
“A nice week for us, but we have to keep going because this level is the level of the club,” he told Sky Sports after Saturday’s win. “We deserve more than this. We have to do more for next season but finish this season in the right way. All together.
“We’ve won three games this week without conceding a goal at Goodison. This is the level we have to have all season. Unfortunately, this season was difficult, but we stayed together, we fought together, and this has worked well for us.”
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Whether he is part of what comes next is up for grabs, like so much else at the club right now. Gueye’s contract expires this summer, but Everton have a club option to extend on the same terms for another year.
Out of necessity, Dyche and director Kevin Thelwell have left big decisions around extensions until they had more clarity over their Premier League status. But given the other upheaval expected at the club this summer, the likelihood is that they will indeed choose to activate that extension should finances permit.
That is surely a no-brainer. “He’s a player I’ve got a lot of respect for,” Dyche said in the build-up to Saturday’s win.
“He’s very experienced and experienced playing at Goodison. He understands football and has been very effective.”
(Top photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)