'Believe me...' - Pundit hails under-fire Everton player after what he saw him do v Arsenal

Michael Ball has hailed Everton defender Vitalii Mykolenko for the way he handled Arsenal attacker Bukayo Saka on Saturday.

The Toffees held the Gunners to a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium on 14 December in the Premier League.

Despite having over 75 per cent of the ball, Mikel Arteta’s side failed to find a way past the visitors and that was credit to Mykolenko and the players around him, believes Ball.

He told the Liverpool Echo: “It really stood out to me how much encouragement the players gave to each other – I saw it on the few occasions Vitalii Mykolenko was undone on the inside, for instance. Mykolenko had a difficult summer as he fought through injuries and has been playing catch up as a result but he showed confidence in dealing with Bukayo Saka.

“As a winger, Saka does a lot of the things that a full back tasked with dealing with him does not want to do – particularly the ease in which he can come inside, which leaves you in two minds about what he is going to do. In games like that it is difficult to keep going because for 90 minutes you will be tested physically and psychologically – believe me, I have been there.

“But Mykolenko did well and was a big part of his team coming away with a clean sheet. When he did get undone there was no finger pointing and no accusatory glances, I saw James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Jordan Pickford all work hard to pick him up, and that helps. When Arsenal did break through they then came up against Pickford, who was excellent again.”

Everton have improved considerably on the defensive side of things

The Toffees showcased a resolute defensive display in their draw against Arsenal, with Mykolenko’s handling of Saka standing out.

Ball praised the collective effort and the support system within the team, particularly highlighting how the Ukraine international managed to regain his composure after being tested by Saka’s inside moves.

Since Branthwaite has returned to full fitness, Everton have been notably hard to penetrate, demonstrating a solid backline that has stifled even the most potent attacks.

Mykolenko, coming off a challenging summer due to injuries and who’s been under fire for recent displays, put in arguably his best performance in some time, showing both physical and mental resilience against a tricky winger.

The teamwork was evident, with no blame games when mistakes were made, but rather a collective effort to rectify and support, with players like Tarkowski and Pickford playing key roles in maintaining the clean sheet.

Hopefully, they can go and build on it and put in better performances in the coming weeks.

In other Everton news, Alan Myers has issued a January transfer update after the recent takeover development.

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