Player Focus: Rejuvenated Lennon Returning to The Fore with Everton
For any player cast aside by the manager at their current club, a loan move provides them the ideal opportunity to prove their worth. Looking at the recent Premier League fixtures, one of those seemingly showing his parent club what they are missing is winger Aaron Lennon. In February, the speedster left Tottenham for Everton having failed to hold down a regular starting spot under Mauricio Pochettino.
Lennon was limited to only 9 league appearances with Spurs in the first half of the season, 3 of which were starts. Used primarily in cup competitions, the former Leeds youth academy product frequently found himself on the peripherals of the first team, with Nacer Chadli, Erik Lamela and Andros Townsend ahead of him in the pecking order. A 7-minute cameo in the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace back in December was the 28-year-old’s last league appearance for Spurs, so a move to Everton appeared to suit all parties.
While Toffees boss Roberto Martínez can too call on a number of attacking options in wide areas - most notably Kevin Mirallas, Steven Naismith and Ross Barkley - the idea was that Lennon would have more first team chances on Merseyside. To date, this has been the case. Since joining in February, Lennon has played 728 minutes of league action, a significant rise in the 276 minutes of Premier League football he played for Spurs this season.
Everton’s current 5-match unbeaten run has also coincided with Lennon establishing himself as a first team regular under Martínez. His WhoScored rating in that run (7.49) ranks among the best of all Everton players over that period. Goals against QPR and Swansea gained the Toffees 3 more points, which helped drag them over the 40-point mark, though it goes without saying that this season has been one to forget for Everton fans. After an impressive campaign that saw them finish within 7 points of 4th placed Arsenal, the Merseyside club struggled to balance both domestic and European duties, culminating in a disappointing season for the club.
Their recent form, however, is cause for optimism next term, with Lennon central to their upturn in results. At a time when doggedness was required in order to avoid a potential relegation scrap, the on-loan wideman has been key. Of all Everton players to make at least 5 league appearances this season, only Muhamed Besic (2.6), Gareth Barry and James McCarthy (both 2.4) are averaging more tackles per game than Lennon (1.9).
While more commonly viewed as an attacking outlet, the defensive side of Lennon’s game that has impressed since he arrived. The tenacity he brings to the team in the attacking third helps create chances for Everton and brings others into the game. Seamus Coleman in particular benefits with Lennon on the right flank. The Irishman has emerged as one of the finest attacking right-backs in England’s top-tier and partnering him on the right wing with a player who - somewhat surprisingly - has not shirked from his physical responsibilities has helped.
A key aspect of Lennon’s upturn in form has been Martínez’s insistence that he provide width on the right. Pochettino demands that his attacking players cut inside to go for goal, but the Everton boss - as the above heatmap shows - would rather Lennon remained closer to the touchline like a conventional winger. When he first broke onto the scene, the wideman was at his best when he went one-on-one with the opposition left-back, before getting to the byline and lofting the ball into the box.
Under Pochettino, however, Lennon was required to cut inside from the left onto his favoured right foot, which meant his speed was rarely capitalised on and saw his Spurs career stagnate. Under Martínez, though, Lennon appears rejuvenated as he looks to revive his stuttering career. An average of 0.7 shots per game is an improvement on his return compared to Spurs (0.2) and highlights Lennon’s renewed confidence in his offensive ability, which Martínez deserves credit for.
Everton now have very little to play for this term. Effectively safe from relegation and out of the running for a European spot, the best the Toffees can do is finish as high as possible before looking ahead to next season. For Lennon, though, he has been handed a second chance to prove how capable a performer he is with an impressive run of form of late helping him return to the fore.
Do you think Aaron Lennon's loan move to Everton has been a success? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
