Everton have endured a long and arduous campaign, but in the end, they performed admirably.
Were it not for the two deductions amounting to an eight-point sanction, they would have finished the campaign in 12th, sat on a respectable 48 points.
Given how they only survived on the final day of last season, that is a marked improvement.
To achieve such a vast turnaround, Sean Dyche has relied on many of his star men to showcase their real quality, after years of keeping it hidden under a lack of confidence and mounting relegation-fuelled anxiety.
That has clearly paid dividends now, with one man even being recognised for his excellence.James Tarkowski recognised for fine performances Team of the Season is a place where Everton players seldom have been found over the years, and with good reason.
After all, this club has barely made a dent on the division for years, and not since Romelu Lukaku have they had an outstanding player in any one position.
However, that now seems to have changed, with James Tarkowski having just been named in Sofascore’s Premier League Team of the Season, based solely on the average ratings maintained throughout the campaign.
His 7.32 figure is buoyed by a slew of fine defensive statistics, having posted 1.5 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 4.9 clearances and 4.9 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore.
He sits in a backline alongside Josko Gvardiol and Virgil van Djik, therefore keeping the likes of William Saliba, Gabriel and Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the side.
One of Everton’s greatest pieces of business in recent memory Heading into the summer of 2022, fans feared the worst.
After all, they had just narrowly escaped one of the harshest campaigns in the club’s history, with Rafael Benitez having driven a real wedge between fans and their club.
Frank Lampard had somewhat fixed it, but their financial peril meant that little movement was expected unless they were to sell.
However, even before the sad departure of Richarlison, the free acquisition of Tarkowski marked a stunning start to the window, the future success of which few could have predicted.
Swiftly, the current vice-captain of the club has become an Everton hero at the back, as a resolute defender who is simply always there.
Having nearly played every minute of every game for the two years he’s been at Goodison Park now, the £100k-a-week enforcer has marshalled a backline that has so often been lacking quality.
He alone stands out, and with Jarrad Branthwaite now beside him, they are reaping the rewards of a renewed solidity which has helped them concede the fourth-least goals in the Premier League.
Tarkowski’s inclusion in that Team of the Season is so justified, and it is refreshing to see him finally recognised rather than outshone by his younger partner.
