There were fewer than 15 minutes remaining in Everton's Premier League opening-game win over [ADDRESS] when supporters had one final reason to rise to their feet. The stadium announcer at [ADDRESS] revealed that match-winner [PERSON_NAME] would be leaving the field. After connecting with Iliman Ndiaye's cross early in the second half to double the lead, the Frenchman soaked up acclaim from the blue half of Merseyside. This stood in stark contrast to last year, when he endured a 14-game goal drought after arriving from Villarreal for £27m.

Boss [PERSON_NAME] emphasized how huge getting in the right spot proved, praising both the cross quality and the header. After a year of adapting to life at [ADDRESS], [PERSON_NAME] now looks ready to establish himself as the team's main talisman up front. When he joined last summer, the club faced a succession of managers, relegation battles, and a PSR points deduction, meaning recruitment targeted a developmental project rather than a finished article.

Patience grew thin initially, but his season burst into life in January. He finished with eight goals in 38 Premier League appearances, with half coming after creator-in-chief [PERSON_NAME] suffered a season-ending injury. His strike rate peaked at 21.1%, nearing elite marks. While the manager requested better ball retention and space usage, the data confirms steady tactical integration for the forward.