‘Miles off it’: Leon Osman slams Everton players following Arsenal defeat

Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman has criticised the Blues’ performance against Arsenal at the weekend.

Everton fell to their fourth Premier League defeat of the season and Osman admitted that his former side look ‘miles off it’.

Indeed, the 42-year-old highlighted the time and space Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice had in the Gunners’ midfield, stating that the England midfielder ‘won’t believe’ how passive Everton were.

Speaking on Match of the Day 2, Osman said: “Everton don’t actually show any intensity. They want to just drop off, they want Arsenal to have the ball.

They don’t put any pressure on…Goodison Park is an intense place to play football, when the home team are on form, the crowd want to get involved and they don’t allow the opposition midfield to feel comfortable.

Yet today, look how passive Everton are as a team. Declan Rice won’t believe he’s come to Goodison Park and had this much time on the ball. That story happened over and over today, and I thought Everton were miles off it.”

It was an honest appraisal from Leon Osman on another toothless display from Everton

Everton began the campaign seemingly unable to find the net despite creating a plethora of chances in games against Fulham and Wolves.

However, Arsenal keeper David Raya could have read a book for the duration of Sunday’s game at Goodison Park, with £26m forward Beto looking isolated upfront.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin made a second half appearance in place of the Portuguese forward, but the like-for-like substitution made little difference as the England international fed off scraps.

Sean Dyche seemed to lack the ambition to put DCL upfront alongside Beto, with such a change in formation potentially igniting a frustrated Goodison crowd.

Even the best forwards would struggle to score with such limited service and with a trip to Brentford this weekend, Sean Dyche’s side face another stern test.