Vitaliy Mykolenko

Key strength: Pace and recovery

Overlapping full-back

While Everton languish in 12th place with just two points from a miserable LLDDL run that has Sean Dyche under mounting pressure, Vitaliy Mykolenko remains an island of reliability amid the Goodison Park storm. The 27-year-old Ukrainian left-back has been the Toffees' ever-present this season, racking up 1,625 minutes across 20 appearances—the kind of ironman availability that speaks louder than his modest return of one assist. While flashier full-backs grab headlines with goals, Mykolenko's €25 million valuation reflects something increasingly precious: defensive excellence. His partnership with Jarrad Branthwaite has become the foundation Dyche builds around, the Ukrainian's 70-rated defending and recovery pace snuffing out danger before it metastasizes. Five yellow cards hint at the combativeness that complements his overlapping runs down the left flank. In an era obsessed with attacking contributions from full-backs, Mykolenko's old-school commitment to his primary duties feels almost revolutionary. Sometimes the most vital players are those who simply refuse to buckle when everything around them crumbles.