Christian Nørgaard

Nørgaard understands the geometry of the position better than almost anyone, standing in the exact spot that forces an opponent to pass sideways instead of forward. He is a serious presence in both penalty areas at set pieces, attacking the ball in the air with the timing of somebody who has done it for many years. The rest of his afternoon is spent tidying up second balls that nobody else has bothered to chase.

Everton tend to look far more organised with somebody willing to hold his position while everybody else runs, which is the job he has done throughout his career. The tension is that it only works if the players ahead of him actually use the freedom he creates. Sit too deep as a team and he becomes a spare man in front of a crowded defence.