Beyond the Anarchy: Kenza Dali can be Everton's answer to stability
The French midfielder can be the solution for Jean-Luc Vasseur's woeful start.
Everton’s spending in the summer was a signal of their intentions of breaking into the “top three” and becoming another contender for the Champions League places. A Swedish influx of Natalie Björn, Hanna Bennison, and Anna Anvegård brought a level of technicality to the club whilst Aurora Galli and Toni Duggan followed to bring a guile and attacking intent to the team, but their most shrewd signing was that of Kenza Dali.
Dali’s signing brought a balance of experience and identity in a league she has played in, specifically for West Ham last season. Her signing gave the then Everton manager Willie Kirk a way to bridge the evolution to the new Everton.
Though Kirk left, Dali has shown glimpses of her quality so far but there is no doubt she is the creative hub around which this team is structured. Many of her qualities are clear to see, but Everton are still yet to find their stride and the key in doing so could be the French international.
Though Jean-Luc Vasseur is still tinkering with his tactical system and finding his perfect eleven, Dali’s position should be less contentious. In an ideal world, Dali thrives as a free-flowing No 10, given the license to be on the ball in a side that holds possession. But, Dali has evolved from just being a creative No 10 from her experiences at Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain, and West Ham.
Most of us know Dali’s ability to unlock defences through her creativity but what stands out the most is her utilisation of space in midfield and the decision-making behind the next progressive action. In the past, she could have been classified as a pure No 10 with an exquisite range of passing, but now there is much more intelligence and a new understanding of the game state. Her ability to drive, play a variety of passes, but most notably choose the right action, is pivotal.
Dali’s play style is designed to translate from each of those positions. During the early part of her career, she was a nominal right-winger that was later converted into a No 10 at the age of 25.
In Dali’s first season at West Ham, they played a 4-2-3-1, 4-1-4-1, and 3-5-2 where Dali was deployed as a No 10 or an attacking No 8. In 2020–21, they moved to a 5-4-1, 4-1-4-1, and the odd 3-4-1-2, though they did use a total of 12 formations that season. Dali was again used in a similar position. This season, Everton has focused on a 4-3-3, 4-3-1-2, and 4-1-3-2. Again, the midfielder has been used across several positions including centre-forward, No 10, right-winger, and No 8.
You can argue that the difference between the systems is sometimes minimal as they are ever-changing and what the heat maps show is that Dali has not only become more mobile, but she is readily prepared to drop deeper and work off the ball to both receive the ball and provide support. Most importantly, you can see her influence coming from more central areas this season.
However, the most important aspect is her decision-making whilst using space in midfield to construct attacks. The use of the spaces she occupies now has become about quick decisions and movement around her. Many teams will look to sit deep and press the dominant side, thus creating a low block, but Dali has found ways of doing so smartly. Dali is ranked second for progressive runs per 90 in the league (3.89) and 11th for smart passes per 90 (1.39) so far in an unsettled side, which highlights the impact of her role.
Interestingly here, Dali drops deep to collect possession from Everton’s deepest midfielder. Birmingham were playing in a compact shape with the two banks of four closely positioned, so her movement deep lulled Birmigham’s midfielder to press Dali.
Once the pass is taken, she looks up and makes a split-second decision to drive instead of playing a long pass. Even with the extra hard touch, Dali is able to skip past the incoming midfielder and take Everton forward. This opens a space for a pass that Dali spots early.
Dali’s preference to play in a possession-based side is coupled with her strength in playing quick, passing football in the final third like this exchange with Leonie Maier. The pass was taken between three Manchester United defenders but the quick check behind her and instantaneous pass meant the three were negated and again progressed Everton into a goal-creating position.
Here’s an example of Dali popping up in a more central yet crowded area. Instead of lingering on the ball, Dali sees the run of Claire Emslie from her peripheral vision and plays a first-time pass through United’s defence. This comes after a period of pressure from United who played a very compact midfield, not giving Everton much space. When Dali has been given the ball in space, she’s been able to make an impact with her dribbling and passing. It’s more about the movement around her that raises the impact of her actions just as the Emslie pass showed here.
It seems somewhat normal that Everton will consider this season as a purely transitional season considering the substantial amount of changes they’ve gone through over the summer, and now with a coaching change as well. Dali is the epitome of consistency given her experience in the WSL and Vasseur will do well to use her in his quest to stabilise Everton.
My full interview with Kenza Dali drops tomorrow morning, so stay tuned for an in-depth conversation around her game and how she approaches the rest of the season.