James Garner facing Everton axe after new data sheds light on his display vs Arsenal

James Garner deserves to be dropped for Everton's next few games after he continued a poor run of form in their defeat to Arsenal.

Garner was named Everton's Player of the Season for an impressive 2025-26 campaign that saw him break into the England squad for the first time.

The 25-year-old has gone from strength to strength on Merseyside since joining from Man United in 2022, becoming one of the first names on the team sheet under David Moyes.

He has stayed in the side this season, featuring more in midfield instead of out of position at right-back, but is currently in a tough patch of form next to Harrison Armstrong.

Moyes must now make the tough, almost unprecedented, decision to relegate Garner to the bench for Everton's run of upcoming fixtures.

He has other players waiting in the wings for their chance to impress and the England international could clearly do with a period out of the firing line.

James Garner was a passenger for Everton in their loss to Arsenal

Garner has started all seven of Everton's Premier League matches since he made a return to full fitness following groin surgery over the summer.

His lack of any kind of pre-season did not seem to be a hindrance in the early weeks of the campaign, as he formed a decent partnership with youngster Armstrong in the middle of the park.

The time away from playing now looks to be catching up to the 25-year-old, who has struggled to have an impact in either of the Toffees' last two matches.

He failed to produce anything of note in the final third during their loss to Chelsea last week, and won just one ground duel while being dispossessed 11 times.

The England midfielder struggled once more on Saturday afternoon as Everton were beaten 2-0 by Arsenal in the capital, misplacing eight passes and failing to produce a successful dribble.

He was also dispossessed 10 times by a Gunners player and won a miserly 29 per cent of his ground duels (2/7), while also committing three fouls and being booked in the second half.

Hayden Hackney is the ideal replacement for Garner

Everton have been concerned about losing Garner in recent times, but right now he is struggling to put in performances close to the ones that saw him widely lauded in the previous campaign.

Fans have called upon Moyes to blood summer signing Hackney into his side properly in the last few weeks, and the Toffees' Carabao Cup clash against Newcastle next Thursday seems like the ideal game to do so.

24-year-old Hackney won the Championship Player of the Season award at Middlesbrough last season and is a very similar profile to Garner, in that he likes to protect the back four with tenacity but can also drive forward to create chances.

He impressed on his sole league start of the season against Crystal Palace in August, with 11 line-breaking passes, more fouls drawn than anyone else (3) and five ground duels won.

Hackney should surely be given the chance to stake a claim for a regular spot in Moyes' starting eleven next week in place of Garner.