3rd October, 2020
By Preye Campbell
With another impressive display today, James Rodriguez continues to show his superstar status at Merseyside.
Since the Colombian was wrapped up by Everton in the summer from a torrid spell in Spain with Real Madrid, he has certainly becomes a rejuvenated player, helping an equally rejuvenated club to their best start to a season in a whopping 126 years.
Rodriguez’s quality was showcased again on Saturday as the Toffees brushed past Brighton 4-2, with the former Bayern Munich player netting two goals and providing an assist. He now has three goals and five assists for Everton in all competitions; already beating his 2019/20 return for Madrid (one goal, two assists in 14 games). Another interesting statistic to follow is that Rodriguez’s brace in a league game makes it the first time he has achieved such feat since March 2019, when he scored a hat-trick for Bayern Munich against Mainz in the Bundesliga.
The 29-year-old’s blistering start in England’s top-flight league has had a rub-on effect on his team. Everton, in every game this season, have been a lot more creative in midfield as they have been dangerous in attack. In his first full season at the blue side of Merseyside, Carlo Ancelotti has now led the club to wins in their first seven matches in all competitions, including four in a row in the league. The last time they won four games in a row was the 1969-70 season; they went on to win the title that season.
The Early days tag continues to rest on the shoulder of this team, but so far, we know that the love tale between Rodriguez and Everton is set to continue.