Jake O’Brien will start his first Premier League game for Everton this afternoon
Jake O’Brien will make his first Premier League start for Everton. The towering defender, who has struggled for opportunities since his £16m summer move from Lyon, will get an immediate chance to impress under new Blues boss David Moyes.
It is set to be slightly out of position – the centre back looks set to start on the right of a back four. But it represents a fresh approach from Moyes as he attempts to learn about his new squad.
O’Brien is one of two changes made for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur, with Jesper Lindstrom also earning his first start under Moyes. Ashley Young and Jack Harrison make way as the Blues trial a new-look right side.
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The starting XI means Moyes will keep faith with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has not scored since September and missed a big chance to grab a late equaliser against Aston Villa on Wednesday night. He suggested he would be patient with the striker ahead of the Spurs game, choosing to reflect on the positives of Calvert-Lewin getting chances rather than on him having missed them.
O’Brien’s first league start comes days after he told the ECHO he had no regrets over moving to Merseyside and that he was determined to break into the side.
In an honest reflection of his time at Everton so far, he said: “I knew it wouldn’t be easy to play games, but I thought I would have played a lot more than I did. But I suppose it’s only been half a season and there is another half of the season to go and I think I could play my part in this half the season and start getting more game time. It’s been a frustrating six months, but I think the next half of the season is important for me to start getting games.”
Everton: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Lindstrom, Mangala, Doucoure, Gana Gueye, Ndiaye, Calvert-Lewin
Subs: Virigina, Begovic, Patterson, Keane, Harrison, Beto, Young, Armstrong, Sherif.
