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There were eyebrows raised when Carlo Ancelotti was in the news for having agreed to a deal to take over at Everton after the firing of Marco Silva. The experienced Italian is one of the greatest managers in the 21st century with three UEFA Champions League titles to his name and a well-established legacy.
The former Chelsea manager arrived at Goodison Park and has so far done a splendid job since taking over. Ancelotti has overseen 11 Premier League games so far steering the Toffees to five victories, three draws and three defeats, all of them coming to last season's top six. He has lifted Everton from a potential relegation scrap to being in contention to finish in the top half of the table.
The players have evidently responded well to the Italian tactician's philosophy and have put in some stellar displays since his arrival. Everton have also had the longest active scoring streak in the league having scored in every game since the former Napoli boss took over until they travelled to Chelsea and lost 4-0.
Here, we take a look at three players who have stepped up since he took charge of Everton.
1. Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has certainly taken it up by a notch under Ancelotti. The Englishman has formed a deadly partnership with Richarlison to lead Everton's productive attack and has done a superb job so far. Calvert-Lewin had to wait until December to find a consistent run of games in the starting XI but once he did, there's been no looking back for him.
The 23-year old has scored a total of 13 Premier League goals in 27 games along with an assist. However, a large part of his goals came towards the latter half of the season.
8 of his 13 goals have come since Ancelotti's first game against Burnley and has scored vital goals to help Everton climb the table, including a vital yet freak goal against Manchester United after David de Gea's moment of madness. Calvert-Lewin has played with maturity and most certainly has found his scoring boots under his new boss. A growing influence in the team, a case could be made for him being one of their most important players at the moment.
2. Richarlison
Calvert-Lewin has served more as the focal striker and it is Richarlison who plays an excellent foil for him at the tip of Everton's attack. After a couple of attempts from his Italian manager to play him out wide, Richarlison took up a more central role and has done an excellent job.
The tenacious Brazilian has already racked up 10 goals for the season along with three assists. His ability conjure up superb shots off either foot from either side of the post is pivotal to his game. Also, he has the ability to 'sniff' a goal and find himself in the right spots at the right time to take an opportunity. 4 of his goals have come in the penalty area and 3 of them from the six-yard box, highlighting the effectiveness of his movement.
It's only a matter of time before Richarlison gets a move to a bigger club, with all due respect to Everton. He is one of Everton's prized assets and Ancelotti's decision to play him centrally regularly will help them reap rewards.
3. Mason Holgate
Mason Holgate followed the footsteps of former Toffee John Stones by moving from Barnsley to Everton, but remained merely a fringe player under former boss Marco Silva. The Portuguese even sanctioned a move away for the youngster to join West Brom on loan last season. But what followed was a resurgence of the highest order for the 23-year-old.
The Englishman showed his versatility when given an opportunity at defensive midfield under caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson and it was evident that he had a lot more in store. Ancelotti subsequently realised this potential as well upon his arrival.
Holgate has featured in all 11 of Ancelotti's Premier League fixtures so far and has put in commanding displays at the heart of the Toffees' defence. He penned a new deal with Everton recently and Ancelotti heaped praise on his youngster, saying,
"I did not know Mason before I came here and I was surprised by him. He showed in this period a lot of quality defensively, he is really focused in his defensive work."
The Italian manager continued,
"He has the quality to be at the top as a defender - fast, strong physically and good with his head, he is a complete defender."
That's quite the compliment from a man who has coached Paulo Maldini, Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva and several other legendary defenders. Holgate has arguably been Everton's best and most important defender this season and he could become even better.
