Troy Deeney Explains Why Chelsea Would Love To Have This Everton Veteran: Is His Consistency Worth Praise?

London – When Everton dismantled Chelsea 3-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night, the scoreboard told only half the story. The other half was written in the composure of 33-year-old James Tarkowski, whose return from injury transformed David Moyes’ back line and prompted BBC pundit Troy Deeney to ask a pointed question: how different would Chelsea look with a defender this reliable?

Deeney, selecting his Premier League Team of the Week for BBC Sport, installed Tarkowski as the cornerstone of Everton’s defensive master-class. “He made those tackles when needed and, more importantly, was a calming presence in their backline,” Deeney wrote. “How Chelsea would love a centre-back with that kind of gumption, especially given the shaky defending they have shown at times.”

The numbers back the praise. According to Sofascore, Tarkowski’s league-average rating this season is 7.18; FotMob graded his 90-minute display against Chelsea at 7.1. Across 30 Premier League matches—every minute of Everton’s campaign—he has contributed 1.33 tackles and 6.60 clearances per outing, while his 39 blocks place him among the division’s most prolific shot-stoppers. He even came close to capping the evening with a goal, forcing a save in the 49th minute.

Saturday’s rout began with Beto’s 33rd-minute opener, created by James Garner’s threaded pass, and ended with Iliman Ndiaye’s third. Yet Deeney argued the pivotal moment arrived earlier, when Jordan Pickford clawed away Enzo Fernández’s goal-bound effort. “That world-class stop was the turning point,” Deeney noted, one of four Everton players he elevated to his Team of the Week.

Tarkowski’s influence stretches beyond metrics. Everton shipped two goals at Arsenal in his absence last weekend; on his return, Chelsea rarely looked like scoring. With Trevoh Chalobah facing six weeks out and Levi Colwill still regaining fitness after an ACL setback, the visitors’ defensive frailties were exposed by a defender who relies on positioning and communication rather than flash. Moyes’ side climbed within three points of fifth place, keeping European qualification in clear view.

In an era when elite clubs chase athletic, ball-playing centre-backs for premium fees, Tarkowski—signed with little fanfare—has become Everton’s most dependable outfielder. His 2,700 league minutes equal those of Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, testament to durability that underpins Everton’s late-season surge. Deeney’s conclusion is blunt: consistency of this calibre is exactly what Chelsea currently lack, and exactly why Everton’s European dream remains alive.

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