View: 25% flop can't start for Everton vs Chelsea after new reveal from Arsenal loss

Vitalii Mykolenko’s defensive weakness means that he should not start for Everton when they face Chelsea on Saturday.

The Ukrainian defender was the weak link for the Toffees as they crumbled against the Gunners on 14 March at the Emirates Stadium.

David Moyes’ side must bounce back against the Stamford Bridge side at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on 21 March.

Mykolenko cannot be named in Everton’s starting line-up, especially when looking at the stats from the last clash.

How did Mykolenko perform in Arsenal vs Everton?

Mykolenko was horrendous for Everton against Arsenal, it is as simple as that.

The 26-year-old made seven defensive contributions, winning both tackles he attempted, making three interceptions and two clearances, per Sofascore.

However, he was successful with just three of the 12 ground duels that he contested, a truly abysmal win rate of 25 per cent, which is simply not good enough.

He won two aerial duels to take his total for duel success to four from 14, and the opposition definitely exploited his weakness.

He was exposed, committing two fouls and being dribbled past five times, and he should be punished when Liam Rosenior’s side makes the trip to Merseyside.

He took 67 touches in the contest and lost possession 20 times, and also recorded a dismal 64 per cent pass accuracy, while failing to make a single cross to a teammate.

He can’t be rewarded with a start against the Blues after that performance.

What is Mykolenko’s future with Everton?

Mykolenko’s future is up in the air with the Blues, his contract currently runs up until 30 June 2026, and he could leave in the summer as a free agent.

A report from Ukrainian journalist Igor Burbas in January, via Sport.ua, claimed that the Toffees had an option to extend his deal by a year and were set to exercise that, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

Moyes has also made it clear that he wants to keep the defender, but surely the club need an upgrade based on his showing against the Gunners.

Whatever his future holds, one thing is for sure, he cannot be named in the team that faces the West London side, as he does not deserve it after a miserable showing against Mikel Arteta’s side.

The manager needs to find an alternative solution, perhaps play a centre-back there, or give Adam Aznou a chance to impress instead of rewarding Mykolenko for failure.

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