Initially, misgivings were calmed with Davies getting on the end of Demarai Gray’s driven low cross to prod home at the near post and give the Blues a dream start against fragile opposition. This caused some concern, as it did not appear that Everton possessed another player with Doucoure’s unique attributes but when the team news broke, it was clear the Blues would retain their standard 4-4-1-1, with Tom Davies the replacement. In lieu of the Frenchman’s services, theories as to how the Toffees would cope in his absence abounded, but in Friday’s pre-game press conference manager Rafa Benitez seemed to hint that a player would simply be swapped in.
The dynamic midfielder has combined stalwart defending with an attacking verve and a committed attitude so far this season, eclipsing his more than decent efforts last term. The news that the influential Abdoulaye Doucoure had suffered a stress fracture to his foot during last weekend’s match against West Ham United and would subsequently be out for a month or more, served to bring the mood of Evertonians down somewhat this week. No Like-for-like Replacement for Doucoure
