As his side travel to London to take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, Everton winger Gerard Deulofeu will likely cast his mind back to the time he scored a late equaliser to secure a point for the visitors in this same fixture in the 2013/14 campaign.
Deulofeu looked to have the world at his feet back then. On a season-long loan from Barcelona, the 19-year-old was excellent as Everton challenged for a place in the top four; although they ultimately fell short in that race, Deulofeu did help the club achieve their best Premier League points tally of 72.
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Roberto Martinez’s outfit tried to get the Spaniard back on loan in 2014/15, but Deulofeu spent the campaign at Sevilla instead. It was a frustrating time for the youngster, who struggled to nail down a regular spot in the starting XI, making only 10 starts in the Primera Liga and two in the Europa League as Unai Emery’s charges won the trophy for the second year in a row.
Deulofeu has not enjoyed much playing time since moving to Goodison Park on a permanent deal this summer either, beginning only two of Everton’s eight top-flight matches so far and seemingly slipping behind Aaron Lennon and Steven Naismith in the pecking order.
Deulofeu is a talented player, and Everton got themselves a bargain, on paper at least, when they signed him for just £4.3 million (Dh24.3m) in June.
He has, however, not really kicked on in the way many would have expected in the period since his last appearance at the Emirates in December 2013.
At 21, Deulofeu still has ample time on his side, but he must start to produce the goods on a more consistent basis if he is to begin to fulfil his outstanding potential.
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