Everton have certainly endured their fair share of setbacks this season, with off-the-field issues tarnishing the superb job Sean Dyche has done at Goodison Park.
The club have been deducted eight points for breaking the Premier League's PSR rules for the previous financial year, dropping the club to within two points of the drop zone.
Without the removal of their points, the Toffees would be all but safe, ten points clear of the relegation places and sitting in 14th place in the Premier League.
The club's defensive record has been a huge help in their bid to retain their ever-present Premier League status, conceding just 48 times – a record bettered by only the top three in the division.
However, it's their goalscoring record that has held them back from pulling further clear of safety, with Dyche's side only finding the back of the net on 32 occasions – only Sheffield United have scored less this season.
The Toffees invested heavily in a new striker in the summer, but he's failed to make a huge impact at Goodison and is starting to look like a poor investment.
Beto's stats at Everton
After joining the club from Udinese during the summer of 2023, Portuguese forward Beto arrived on Merseyside with high hopes of being the club's long-term focal point, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin constantly plagued with injuries.
However, he's endured a tricky start to life in England and failed to live up to the hype that was produced upon his move to Goodison Park.
He's featured 27 times for Dyche's side in the Premier League this campaign, scoring on just three occasions, with the 26-year-old wasting numerous golden opportunities.
As seen in the video above, the striker missed a guilt-edged opportunity to hand the Toffees the lead in the meeting with Chelsea, with the home side going on to run away with a 6-0 win.
It's unfair to solely blame the defeat on Beto, but had he finished off the early opportunity, the game might've been completely different – with the side looking short of confidence for much of the encounter.
The striker has an xG of 6.79, meaning, based on the chances he's been presented this season, he should've scored nearly seven times but has only managed to find the net on three occasions.
He's wasted 3.79 xG worth of chances this campaign, with Everton's poor goalscoring record no surprise given his wasteful play in front of goal during 2023/24.
Beto's market value in 2024
The club forked out £26m for his signature last summer, but his poor form in front of goal this season has seen his market value rapidly decrease in recent months.
He's now only valued at £8.5m, as per Football Observatory, with Beto's value dropping by £17.5m – or 67% – during his eight-month stint at Goodison.
James Garner
£25m
Dwight McNeil
£25m
Vitaliy Mykolenko
£17m
Jordan Pickford
£17m
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
£12m
His 6 foot 4 frame makes him a handful for opposition defenders, with his willing running and ability to play on the shoulder a huge asset that Dyche needs to try and focus on rather than direct balls into his feet or in the air for him to challenge.
There's clearly a player in Beto, but the club are paying the price for his numerous missed opportunities in the 18-yard box, with the supporters needing to be patient if they are to see the best of the Portuguese forward.
At present, however, the summer signing simply looks a "little bit lost" – in the words of journalist Paul Brown.
Market Movers
Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?
