The stat that shows Sean Dyche can get results without having any real firepower

Sean Dyche’s best achievement as manager of Burnley was a seventh place finish which secured European football, but one interesting statistic from that season reveals an issue that’s now plaguing Everton.

Burnley only scored 36 goals in 38 games during that 2017/18 season - less than a goal a game. It shows Dyche can get results without having any real firepower. And it looks like he will need to at Everton.

The Toffees have scored just 17 goals in 24 games this season and fans are going to have to accept a harsh truth that the first goal could well end up being the winner in the every game they play.

That’s been the case in the quartet of games under Dyche so far. Their two triumphs were both one-nil victories - over Arsenal and Leeds United - while both two-nil losses show that if they don’t get the first goal they are likely to lose.

A team with lowest goal tally in the league is unlikely to stage a two-goal comeback, especially considering they’ve only scored more than once in a league game on two seperate occasions this season (Crystal Palace and Southampton).

Furthermore, the lack of goals are compounded by the constant injuries to star forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who finds himself struggling for goals and fitness and he’s spent the last three games sidelined and is likely to remain sidelined for at least the next few weeks.

Having managed 29 league goals in back-to-back seasons between 2019-2021, he managed only five last season in another campaign littered with injuries. So far, it’s just the single goal after 11 games.

With attacking duo Richarlison and Anthony Gordon both sold - to Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United respectively - the onus for goals now falls to Neal Maupay or Ellis Sims.

If Dyche achieved European qualification at Burnley with an inferior squad, then there’s hope for Everton who only need to find a way to survive the drop, rather than massively overachieve and finish seventh. That season saw Burnley record 11 wins with six one-nil scorelines - can they find a way to edge their way to safety?