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It was always expected to be a shrewd bit of business when Everton secured the capture of Bernard on a free transfer in the summer.

A player of his calibre would normally warrant a substantial fee in this current financial climate; yet when his contract expired in June with Shakhtar Donetsk, Marco Silva managed to persuade the Brazilian to join him at Goodison Park ahead of some of Europe's top clubs, who were enquiring about his availability.

The attacker built his reputation in the Ukranian league, but naturally there was some trepidation as to whether he would be able to translate some of his impressive form there into the much more physically demanding environment of the Premier League. After all, at just 5ft 5ins, he lacks the envisioned size and build to succeed in England.

Yet, so far it would seem those fears were premature. A deeper delve into his statistics from the season illustrate a very imposing football player - and one who has been essential to creating chances for Silva’s side this season.

Read about the three players who could improve Everton this season HERE

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The below comparisons were made between Everton players who have played 1000 league minutes or more.

Bernard boasts four league assist so far, which is the joint highest number at the club alongside fellow new recruit Lucas Digne. It is also one more than influential midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, and two more than fellow winger Theo Walcott.

What’s perhaps most impressive about that record is the fact Bernard has played just 1565 league minutes this season, which is 775 fewer than Digne and 976 less than Sigurdsson.

Furthermore, averaging 0.11 per 90 minutes, Bernard also ranks top at the club in terms of second assists in the league this season. The second assist is the pass that leads to the assist for team-mate and is a good metric to assess the value of someone’s contribution in the build up play to a goal.

(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

His goal creation capabilities are hardly surprising when assessing his all-round attacking play.

Firstly, he averages 31.73 passes per 90 minutes, demonstrating the Brazlian’s contribution for Everton, with an average more than the likes of Sigurdsson and Richarlison.

The South American also averages more ‘last passes’ (9.5 per 90 minutes) than any other winger at the club, demonstrating how he is trying to provide the killer touch for the Blues. He also ranks second behind Digne in terms of key passes with an average of 0.33 per 90 minutes, and sits second behind the Frenchman in terms of passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes with an average of 3 per game.

Interestingly though, his success rate in those passes at 61.82% surpasses Digne - and everyone else in the side.

Not just exhibiting an impressive passing range in key areas, he is also showing great dexterity to get into those dangerous areas for Everton.

He makes around 2.35 progressive runs per game and is averaging 5.02 dribbles per 90 minutes, making him one of Everton’s most efficient threats when in possession, behind only Richarlison who averages 5.29.

Notably though Bernard can better his compatriot in terms of success in those dribbles, with a completion rate of 64.13% compared to 61.43%.

(Image: WyScout) (Image: WyScout) (Image: WyScout)

Yet although his presence as a creator is undoubtedly strong, there is one part of Bernard’s game that is lacking.

Goals.

The Brazilian has yet to open his league account with the Toffees, although he did execute a stupendous chip against Lincoln City in the third round of the FA Cup. Despite this, it’s a largely disappointing return in front of goal for the winger, but should it be a concern?

Sometimes a players goal return can be a little misleading, therefore relying on the Expected Goal (xG) metric can assist in this regard. For example, if a player has scored just one goal, but his xG for the season is five, there would be an indication that he has perhaps been a little bit unlucky. Over a sustained period or league campaign, usually the players goal tally would likely even out to reflect their xG.

In Bernard’s case, his xG for the season is just 1.08, demonstrating he should have at least one league goal so far given the attacking positions he has taken and the chances presented to him.

Yet that xG isn’t particularly overwhelming. The biggest indication as to his lack of goal threat comes in terms of his shots on goal. He averages 0.82 shots per 90 minutes which is a similar output to Andre Gomes and Digne.

What’s more, he has yet to direct any one of those shots on target in any league game this season.

The Blues shouldn’t be concerned though. Bernard arrived in England having scored 44 goals in 230 senior appearances across his time at Clube Atletico Mineiro and Shakhtar Donetsk; an average of around one goal in every five matches.

For a player who has installed himself so well into the Premier League in his debut campaign, allowances can be made for other aspects of his game to improve.

Having signed a four-year deal in the summer, there’s plenty of time yet for the attacker to flourish. In a season of ups and downs so far, Bernard has proven himself as a treasured asset and certainly one Evertonians can look forward to watching for years to come.