Jarrad Branthwaite has returned from a long-term injury to reclaim his position in Everton’s starting eleven. The central defender was a key feature of The Toffees defence last season and accrued the second-most clean sheets in the league. His return could see a change in the club’s defensive fortune going forward, with The Blues conceding 15 goals in the first six games.
Jarrad Branthwaite’s Return Will Revamp the Everton Defence
Defensive Struggles for Everton
Everton has failed to capture their defensive form enough to start the new season. In the absence of Branthwaite, they had the worst defence in the league heading into their sixth match. The former Carlisle United youth product is crucial to the ongoing success of The Toffees defence this season.
With Branthwaite in the starting lineup last season, the team conceded 1.43 expected goals against (xGA) per game. They averaged 1.7 xGA in the three games he didn’t start.
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While a small sample size, the trend has continued early on this season. In Everton’s first five games this season, they have conceded 1.8 xGA per game. In the defender’s return against Crystal Palace, they conceded just 0.9 xGA.
The difference between having Branthwaite on and off the pitch since the start of the 2023/24 season equates to 0.35 xGA per game, which would be 13.4 goals over an entire season.
Jarrad Branthwaite is the Perfect Dyche Centreback
Branthwaite stands at 6’5” and is a dynamic and powerful centre-back. He fits Everton manager Sean Dyche’s archetype for his backline. The former Burnley manager has always looked towards physically dominant defenders, Branthwaite ranks in the 89th percentile among central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues for aerial duel win rate.
Other areas that Branthwaite excels at include clearances, blocks and tackles plus interceptions. He ranks in the 80th percentile in all categories compared to his counterparts across Europe. While these numbers are affected by Everton’s low possession style, he is clearly moving in the right direction as a young defender.
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The club’s backup options are currently Michael Keane and Jake O’Brien. Keane has yet to put in consistent performances for The Toffees and O’Brien hasn’t started a Premier League game. While both defenders seemingly fit the mould for Dyche, they are yet to showcase their ability to start at the top level.
Possible Over-Reliance on Jarrad Branthwaite
All stats point to Everton having an overreliance on the 22-year-old centre-back. With Michael Keane being the first-choice replacement, many fans were waiting with angst for Branthwaite’s return.
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The Toffee defence had become disorganised and mistake-prone to start this Premier League season. The defence let two 2-0 leads slip in consecutive league matches against Bournemouth and Aston Villa respectively. Last season they lost just three games after taking a lead; after those collapses they had two in just five games to start the season.
Goodison Park fans will hope to keep the young star for many seasons to come, but with ongoing rumours of his departure, they will have to enjoy him while he is there.
