3 Key players behind the resurgence of Everton under Carlo Ancelotti | Premier League 2019-20
This season of the Premier League has been a roller-coaster ride for Everton. Despite spending heavily in the summer, the Merseyside club had a disastrous start to the season under their former manager, Marco Silva. Poor performances and back-to-back defeats saw them languishing in the relegation zone at one point of time.
However, the Toffees have seen a significant turnaround under their new manager, Carlo Ancelotti. In a short period, the Italian manager has turned their relegation battle into a race for European spots. The Toffees have lost just one of their last eight games and have moved to seventh place in the league- just five points behind the fourth-placed, Chelsea.
The Toffees look like a completely different team under Ancelotti and his assistant, Duncan Ferguson. All the players have improved and are producing some excellent performances over the past two months. However, there are some stand-out players who have helped the team achieve its goals.
Here we look at three key players who have played a major role in Everton's resurgence under Carlo Ancelotti.
#1 Mason Holgate
Under the former manager, Marco Silva, the youngster was the third choice center-back and rarely got a chance in the first team.
However, in recent weeks, the defender has seen a complete change of fortune. Since the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti, the 23-year-old has arguably been the most improved player for the Toffees and has enjoyed a consistent run in the first team. Holgate has formed a solid defensive partnership with Yerry Mina and has repaid his manager's faith with a string of impressive performances.
The youngster is a modern-day center-back, who is adept at turning defence into attack. Holgate is extremely composed on the ball and has a knack for driving forward at the opposition. Apart from his ball-playing abilities, the youngster possesses an impressive defensive acumen. The Everton defender has averaged 1.2 tackles per game this season with a duel success rate of 72%.
At 23, the defender is still young and it will be exciting to see how develops under Carlo Ancelotti’s tutelage.