Frank Lampard believes he can get Everton back on track, as the pressure grew on the former Chelsea boss following a dismal 4-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Everton were no match for Brighton on Tuesday at Goodison Park, as they were condemned to a fourth Premier League defeat in five games.

Having stayed up by the skin of their teeth last season, Everton sit 16th with 15 points from 18 matches.

Everton might well be in the bottom three by the time they face fellow strugglers Southampton on January 14, but Lampard believes he can turn their fortunes around.

"Since I have been in here we have been in this situation, so it's not a case of fear, it's a case of just keep working," Lampard told reporters when asked if he feared for his future.

"I can't control the talk or the decisions, when you are around this area of the table this is what happens.

"You lose a game like this, I absolutely understand any reaction. I don't listen to too much of it because if you do then it becomes your focal point, so I don't focus on it.

"I'm very confident in myself and will work to turn it around. I can't predict the future. We have to try and win games — it's all we can look at."

Lampard was appointed as Rafael Benitez's successor in January 2022. Of the 36 league games he has overseen, Everton have won just nine (25 per cent), losing 19. 

Three days prior to Tuesday's defeat, Everton had frustrated Manchester City to claim a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium, and Alex Iwobi believes a lack of consistency is the main issue.

"I don't think confidence is the issue," Iwobi told Sky Sports. "We showed how we can play against Man City.

"We can't be one minute good one minute bad. We've got to be consistent. The way we discussed in the changing room now is we all want to fix it.

"I'm confident we can get ourselves out of this."

Everton's hierarchy also faced ire from the fans that remained at Goodison Park on Tuesday, with chants of "sack the board" aimed at the directors' box.

Demarai Gray's stunning equaliser dented Manchester City's Premier League title bid and eased the pressure on Frank Lampard as Everton claimed a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Lampard's struggling team looked set for more misery when Erling Haaland continued his incredible goalscoring form in the first half, sweeping home to hand City the lead.

Everton failed to register a single shot until the 64th minute, but they only needed one chance as Gray whipped a brilliant effort into the top-right corner to cap a devastating break.

Pep Guardiola's men looked startled by Gray's intervention, as their failure to find a winner handed Arsenal the initiative in the title race on New Year's Eve.

Haaland went close early on when he hit the side-netting from a tight angle after rounding Jordan Pickford, but he was not to be denied 24 minutes in.

Jack Grealish's neat work down the left allowed Riyad Mahrez to square for Haaland, who finished beyond Pickford in a crowded penalty area to put City ahead.

Former Everton defender John Stones hit the post with a diving header as half-time approached, and City appeared destined to add to their lead as they pinned the Toffees back. 

However, the visitors silenced the Etihad with their first attempt of the game after the hour mark, with Gray breaking clear and recovering from a stumble to arc a terrific effort into the far corner from the left of the area.

Pickford denied Mahrez from close range as City threw players forward in desperation late on, but Everton stood firm through 11 minutes of stoppage time to claim a huge point towards their survival bid – much to the delight of Arsenal.

Frank Lampard tried and failed to bring "amazing" striker Erling Haaland to Chelsea during his time as the Blues' manager.

Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm since signing for Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in June.

The Norway international became the fastest player to score 20 Premier League goals with his double in City's 3-1 win over Leeds United on Wednesday, doing so in just 14 games, seven less than previous record-holder Kevin Phillips.

A home game against strugglers Everton, who lost 2-1 to Wolves thanks to a late Rayan Ait-Nouri goal on Boxing Day, should provide Haaland with an ideal opportunity to cap 2022 off on a high note.

Now manager of Everton, Lampard recalled trying to sign Haaland for Chelsea during his spell as their boss between 2019 and 2021.

Lampard told reporters: "He is an amazing player and the ultimate top-level players generally can do what he does in a top-level league.

"With a player of that talent, of course at any moment they can hurt you.

"I coached against him in a pre-season game when he was playing for Salzburg. I tried to sign him for Chelsea and it was not to be.

"It was clear in our pre-match preparation what this boy was. Fair play to him.

"We are going against him and I respect those at the top of their game. I watched the World Cup final with [Kylian] Mbappe and [Lionel] Messi, and Haaland has got himself in that bracket at a very young age."

Everton will be hoping to have their own number nine fit to feature at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, with Lampard confirming Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be in his squad to take on the champions.

Calvert-Lewin's injury issues from last season have persisted, with the 25-year-old managing just six appearances this term.

"We've gone into a season where we've lost Richarlison and haven't really had Dominic, barring a few games," said Lampard, whose team have scored only 12 league goals this season, 31 fewer than City's tally of 43.

"We haven't had him, but not for the want of trying. It's injury. When you lose that firepower it might not be easy to replace in terms of pure goals and output.

"Having Dominic back in the fold is a great thing for us because players who can make the difference at the top end of the pitch like that mean points. It's as simple as that.

"We'll look and see what we can do in the January window to see what options we can have to start a game, change a game from the bench. We're looking at lots of players."

Jordan Pickford and Anthony Gordon are "very close" to committing their future to Everton amid transfer speculation, manager Frank Lampard claimed on Friday.

The Everton goalkeeper was again an integral figure as England reached the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar, while Gordon was repeatedly linked to Chelsea in the last transfer window.

A Stamford Bridge move never materialised for the 21-year-old winger, who has scored three times in 14 Premier League appearances this season.

Tottenham are reportedly interested in Pickford, but Lampard does not expect the pair – along with the rejuvenated Alex Iwobi – to leave Goodison Park in the near future.

"We're in a situation where we want them to stay, and they want to stay – that's always been the feeling – so we are very close," Lampard said ahead of Monday's Premier League clash with Wolves.

"I don't want to speak for him, but Jordan feels very happy at this club. That's the impression I get. We are a huge club with a big history and big ambition, and he is a big part of that.

"Maybe, I was fortunate to play in the Champions League a lot, but when I felt comfortable at a club, I came in with a smile on my face every day and I looked forward to every game.

"If Jordan feels like that, and we can match each other's ambitions, I don't see that as a problem."

While Lampard does not envisage any key players departing in January, the former Chelsea midfielder wants to make Conor Coady's move to Everton a permanent deal.

Coady is ineligible to face parent club Wolves, with the centre-back and Pickford still reeling from England's World Cup exit at the hands of France.

"Conor has been brilliant since he's been here in every possible way," Lampard added. "I would like to make that permanent at some point. That's not happening right now, but we will keep looking at that one.

"Conor and Jordan are great because they are low maintenance. It will have hurt them – as it did the whole nation – to leave the tournament because we felt we were doing well.

"There's not much worse than that moment [when you go out]. But the beauty of this tournament being in mid-season is that they come straight back to their clubs and the Premier League, and they know how highly we regard them.

"Obviously, Conor can't play on Monday, but they've come back with a really good attitude."

Former England midfielders Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are confident the Three Lions can go "all the way" at the World Cup in Qatar.

England begin their Group B campaign against Iran on Monday, looking to cast aside their poor recent form in the Nations League in a bid for their second World Cup triumph.

Gareth Southgate has led England to at least the final four in consecutive major tournaments – becoming the first manager to do so since Alf Ramsey in 1966 and 1968 - and Gerrard believes the team can build on their recent near misses in Qatar.

"I'm really optimistic. I've got a lot of belief and confidence in the boys, I'm sure they're extremely excited at the moment," Gerrard told Sky Sports.

"I'm looking forward to going on a journey with them, now that I'm a fan and an ex-player. I've experienced where they are right now and I'm really looking forward to, hopefully, a positive start to build belief.

"They were millimetres away from winning the Euros, to get to a World Cup semi-final is a positive performance.

"I think, collectively, they should have belief, they should have confidence and togetherness. They're a real tight group with a fantastic manager, there's a lot of talent.

"I think if we get the right bits of luck and the right breaks, and keep the majority of the squad healthy, I'm confident we can go all the way."

Everton manager Lampard concurs with his former international team-mate, viewing England as one of the favourites to win the tournament.

"We've got a squad that has been building for a couple of years, they've had a couple of tournaments where they've had relative success and they're getting stronger, in my opinion," Lampard said.

"I think we can fairly put England as one of the favourites for the tournament, with the talent they have in the squad.

"I think it'll be about momentum in the tournament itself, who gets through the group, who builds that confidence and momentum, and then that can take you all the way."

England are the only European nation to have reached the semi-finals in each of the past two major tournaments.

However, since winning the World Cup on home soil in 1966, England have only progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the competition on two occasions – finishing fourth in 1990 and 2018.

Frank Lampard's focus is on getting Dominic Calvert-Lewin fit and firing for Everton as he looks to make a late push for England's World Cup squad.

Calvert-Lewin enjoyed a brilliant 2020-21 campaign, scoring 21 times. That tally included a hot streak of eight goals in seven games to start the season, with his form seeing him make his England debut, scoring four goals in as many starts for the Three Lions, the most by a player since Kerry Dixon in 1985-86.

He was part of England's Euro 2020 squad but the 25-year-old missed much of last term through injury, returning to score the vital goal to keep Everton up in a 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace in May, only to suffer a knee injury on the eve of the new season.

With Calvert-Lewin limited to two substitute appearances in Everton's last two matches – defeats to Manchester United and Tottenham respectively – his hopes of making Gareth Southgate's squad for Qatar appear slim, especially with Brentford's Ivan Toney in rich form.

Lampard acknowledges time may be against his striker but is not giving up hope.

"We've got to be careful with Dominic coming back, making sure we gradually bring him in but as quickly as possible," he told reporters ahead of Everton's trip to Newcastle United. 

"We're definitely getting to the stage now where we can hopefully get more minutes out of him.

"It's human nature and a natural mentality of top-level players, they want to play for their countries. The first thing is you play well for your club to get there.

"Because of Dominic's injuries it's put him in this position. My feeling is if he'd been fit and playing regularly he'd be making that case.

"It's step by step for us, Dominic is an England player, he's been in that squad – can we get him fit for us first, see what he can deliver for us, then of course he gets himself into that question."

One Everton player certain to be going to the World Cup if fit is Jordan Pickford. 

The goalkeeper enjoyed a strong start to the season, but made a blunder in Saturday's defeat to Spurs, spilling Matt Doherty's shot and bringing down England team-mate Harry Kane to compound his error.

When asked if he had spoken to Pickford about the mistake, Lampard replied: "No need. He's saved us many times. 

"He's a high, high level of goalkeeper, top bracket in the world for me."

Frank Lampard questioned why Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk avoided a red card in Saturday's Merseyside derby after the Dutch defender's late tackle on Amadou Onana.

The centre-back went into referee Anthony Taylor's book for the 76th-minute challenge, when Van Dijk got his timing all wrong and caught Onana just above the ankle.

A gripping match finished goalless, but a red card at that stage of the game could have lifted hosts Everton for the closing minutes.

Manager Lampard could not understand why Taylor was not called to look at the incident again by the video assistant referee.

He said: "If you look at the moment he connects with Amadou's shin and Amadou's foot is on the ground… I'm surprised it hasn't gone to VAR and the referee hasn't been asked to make what I think was the correct decision.

"For me, that was a red card and that changes the face of the last part of the game. The ref and the VAR get that one wrong, in my opinion."

Everton were indebted to the brilliance of their goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, who pulled off eight saves to keep out Liverpool.

That was the most saves the England international has made when keeping a clean sheet in a Premier League game, with crunch interventions to deny Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Fabinho standing out.

Lampard hailed his shot-stopper, saying: "Jordan gets fingertips on a few bits that a lot of keepers don't get: pushes the one from Nunez on the bar, the one from Mo Salah at the end.

"Alisson was the same, they're two top goalkeepers. We've relied on Jordan a lot since I've been here. He's an amazing goalkeeper. I'm so fortunate to have a player of his level to pull off saves like that."

Neither Anthony Gordon nor Wilfried Zaha will be on the move ahead of the transfer deadline, according to their respective managers.

Gordon and Zaha have each been linked with transfers to Chelsea, who are continuing to spend big before the window closes on Thursday.

However, both players played and netted in the Premier League on Tuesday – Gordon opening the scoring in Everton's 1-1 draw at Leeds United, as Zaha did likewise as Crystal Palace were held by Brentford.

And after their respective matches, Everton manager Frank Lampard and Palace boss Patrick Vieira spoke with certainty on the futures of their key men.

"Anthony is too important a player," Lampard said. "He has showed his worth in the last two games; it is too late [in the window].

"He is going to be special. In the bigger picture, he has an affiliation with the fans. It is a process – can we build around that?

"The interest in him is because he is a top player, and why we are so keen to keep him, you saw the reasons why in the last two games. He is our player."

Vieira added: "I didn't even put that [the possibility of Zaha leaving] in my head. I didn't even ask myself that question.

"I'm working with him every day and there is no doubt, there is nothing crossing my mind that something like that will happen."

Everton manager Frank Lampard has no concerns over Anthony Gordon refusing to play in order to force through an exit, amid continued speculation over a move to Chelsea.

Chelsea are reported to have already had multiple offers knocked back for the 21-year-old, the most recent of which was said to be worth £45million.

Lampard's former side Chelsea could yet make another approach prior to Thursday's deadline, with boss Thomas Tuchel hinting he is hopeful of further additions.

While Wesley Fofana has been overlooked for selection by Leicester City ahead of a move to Chelsea, and Willy Boly allegedly refused to play against Newcastle United as he seeks a move away from Wolves, Lampard does not expect any such problems from Gordon.

"Anthony wouldn't, shouldn't, couldn't do that with me. If he did try and sit out a game he'd see a different side to me," Lampard told reporters. "There's no doubt about that and I think he knows that.

"I'm not playing the hard one – it's just that it would be so alien from what I'd expect from him. I just know that's not him. 

"At the same time he's not a robot and all this attention is difficult. I understand that – I was that ambitious young player.

"That's the beauty of Anthony. He's hard working and he wants to be better. He wants to do what he did [on Saturday], which is score goals, run for this team, and that’s why he's a delight to work with. So there was never any idea that Anthony would act that way."

Gordon's goal in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brentford – extending Everton's winless start to the Premier League season to four matches – was his fifth in 64 appearances for the Toffees in all competitions.

He has played a full part in all four of this side's league games this term and Lampard intends to select the winger against Leeds United on Tuesday, regardless of the ongoing gossip.

"He's in the squad Tuesday, for sure," Lampard said. "His character's great. He's in the squad."

When it was put to Lampard that he had been in a similar position prior to leaving boyhood club West Ham for London rivals Chelsea in 2001, the former England international pointed out Gordon has only been a first-team regular for one season.

"I played three-and-a-half, four seasons for West Ham, so there's my answer for Anthony. He's played one for us," Lampard said.

"He's a huge player for us. We're getting towards the end of the window now and Anthony's a huge player for us and will be this season."

Lampard also confirmed Mason Holgate is expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury sustained against Brentford, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure remain on the sidelines, but new signing Neal Maupay may feature at Elland Road.

Everton manager Frank Lampard has denied Chelsea have made a £60million bid for Anthony Gordon and reiterated he intends to retain the winger.

The 21-year-old has been widely reported to be a player of interest for Chelsea, who continue to push for new acquisitions before the close of the transfer window next week.

Eye-watering amounts of money are claimed to have been put on offer for Gordon but Everton are standing firm with their intention not to lose his services.

Lampard refuted claims of a £60m bid for Gordon, while comparing him to other young players he has worked with at Derby County and Chelsea.

"It hasn't come in. He's our player and remains so. He's in the squad for tomorrow," Lampard said at a press conference on Friday ahead of the Premier League clash against Brentford.

"He's a huge player for us. I said it last week, not only is he a big value for the club, if you want to talk financially, but more importantly for me he is a big value to the squad and the team.

"They haven't bid £60m, so let's not talk about a number that's not there.

"I've been fortunate enough to work with fantastic young players in my time with Derby, in my time with Chelsea, seeing them develop, now becoming internationals with England, Champions League winners, worth triple-digit figures in their personal values.

"Anthony is in that bracket. He's been a pleasure to work with and he's ours, an Everton boy, he plays for us, the crowd relate to him.

"It's all understandable that people will be interested in him because of the level of player that he is but the facts remain the same."

Jose Mourinho's words of advice to Dele Alli have been well publicised ever since the release of the Tottenham-focused All Or Nothing documentary series in 2020.

"I am 56 now and yesterday I was 20. Time flies. One day I think you will regret it if you don't reach what you can reach," the former Spurs boss told Alli, who for the first time in his rough career was, at the start of the 2019-20 season, enduring a rough patch of form.

"I am not expecting you to be the man of the match every game. I am not expecting you to score goals every game. I want just to tell you that you will regret it. You should demand more from yourself."

Less than 18 months after the documentary aired, Alli's Tottenham spell was over, moving to Everton on what was initially a free transfer at the age of 25.

Frank Lampard was confident he could reinvigorate the midfielder, whose ability to find space in the area had often drawn comparisons to the Chelsea great. Yet with Everton fighting to survive, questions over the sensibility of the transfer were raised.

Now, his stint at Goodison Park is coming to an end, at least for the season. Alli has joined Turkish club Besiktas on loan, and while a hero's welcome in Istanbul will surely have been a boost to his confidence, it is hard not to look back at Mourinho's words and think where did it all go wrong for one of England's brightest prospects?

Superstar in the making

Alli's rise was nothing short of sensational. Having signed from MK Dons, Alli made his Premier League bow for Spurs against Manchester United in August 2015. He went on to score 10 top-flight goals and provide nine assists in a remarkable breakout campaign.

His best season followed in 2016-17, when he scored 22 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions, averaging a goal every 182 minutes. He followed that up with 29 direct goal involvements (14 goals, 15 assists) in the 2017-18 campaign, and was a key player for Gareth Southgate as England went on to reach the World Cup semi-finals at Russia 2018. It is hard to see him being involved in Qatar this time around.

Given a free role behind Harry Kane in Mauricio Pochettino's side, Eriksen was able to thrive, running beyond the striker to latch onto pinpoint Christian Eriksen deliveries, or able to find pockets of space on the edge of the box to show his prowess with shots from range. He truly looked to have it all.

Hard times in north London

Spurs reached the Champions League final in 2019, but it would be fair to say even by that stage, Alli's impact had started to wane. Injuries did not help, but he managed only eight direct goal contributions in the Premier League that season and failed to score in Europe.

Pochettino's tenure came to an end in November 2019. Alli had scored twice in the league prior to Pochettino's dismissal, but had been particularly close to his coach (indeed, when Alli left Spurs, he paid tribute to the impact the Argentine had on his career).

Mourinho arrived and, while some hard truths might have been given behind the scenes, Alli looked sharp in the Portuguese's first weeks at the club. But the promising signs did not last, and prior to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown of March 2020, he was by no means a guaranteed starter.

Alli finished the elongated Premier League campaign with eight goals in 25 appearances, but in Mourinho's first full season in charge he was relegated to a benchwarmer, making just two top-tier starts before the former Manchester United and Chelsea manager was sacked in April 2021. 

Nuno Espirito Santo attempted to play Alli deep in midfield in his short-lived Spurs spell, and his last goal for the club did come under the ex-Wolves boss, from the spot in a 1-0 win at Molineux. Yet Antonio Conte started him just twice in the competition, and the writing was on the wall when he was left out of Tottenham's squad altogether for a meeting with Chelsea in January.

Goodison to Istanbul

Alli and Lampard both spoke glowingly of the transfer to Everton, sealed on the last day of the January window.

Those words did not translate into minutes for Alli, though. He came on for his Everton debut in a 3-1 loss to Newcastle United in February, and despite a promising cameo in a 3-0 defeat of Leeds United, time on the pitch was even tougher to come by as the Toffees slipped further into the relegation dogfight.

While Alli came on to play a key role in a 1-1 draw with Leicester City, it did seem as though whatever plan Lampard had for the midfielder had been cast to one side, but a game-changing performance in Everton's survival-clinching comeback win over Crystal Palace in May suggested there could be a place for him at Goodison this season, especially following Richarlison's sale to Spurs.

Even without a recognised striker fit to feature from the off in matches against Chelsea and Aston Villa, though, Lampard went with Gordon – himself set for a move to London – up front over Alli, who had deputised in an attacking role in pre-season.

Last week, reports of Besiktas' interest were confirmed by Lampard, and once again the writing was on the wall, especially with Everton wary that if Alli played 20 times (he finishes with 13 appearances, no goals or assists and only seven chances created), they would have to fork out £10million to Tottenham.

Now, it is in Turkey that Alli will attempt to revive a career that once promised so much. He joins Istanbul on loan with an option for the Istanbul club to buy. It is hard not to think he won't have Mourinho's comments running around his head.

Everton manager Frank Lampard has stated that nothing has changed on the future of Anthony Gordon amid strong links of a move away from Goodison Park.

It has been reported that Chelsea could be ready to pay up to £60million to take the 21-year-old to Stamford Bridge, while Tottenham and Newcastle United have also apparently been interested.

After the departure of last season's top goalscorer Richarlison to Spurs and the injury to striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, it has fallen on Gordon to lead the line at the start of this campaign.

Gordon started on the bench for Everton's EFL cup game with Fleetwood Town and Lampard opted not to bring him in on in the 1-0 victory, amid rumours that Chelsea are preparing a new bid having reportedly already seen multiple offers exceeding £40million rejected by Everton.

But Lampard says that nothing has changed yet, telling Talksport: "He's our player and the latest is the same as what I said after the game against Nottingham Forest.

"He's our player and he's got three years left on his contract. We're aware of the interest of Chelsea as the world is now.

"This situation has to be right for Everton Football Club and for me as the coach of the team so we're in the same position that we were a few days ago."

Frank Lampard offered no assurances that Anthony Gordon will remain at Everton beyond the end of the transfer window.

Gordon has been the subject of interest from Tottenham, Newcastle United and Chelsea in recent weeks.

Chelsea made their interest known last weekend, with reports emerging of a £40million bid having been rejected by Everton, who were then said to have turned down an improved, £45m offer.

With Everton having sold Richarlison to Tottenham in June, and with Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured, Gordon has been relied on to lead the line in their opening Premier League games.

Both of those have ended in defeat, to Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively, but despite the latest developments, Lampard has no concerns over Gordon's mentality ahead of what might already be a crucial meeting with Nottingham Forest.

Yet when asked if he could guarantee Gordon will remain an Everton player after the window closes on September 1, Lampard told reporters: "You can't ask me to assure anything, that'll be naive for me to assure anything. I might not even be here! Who knows. I don't want to get into hypotheticals."

Everton have so far not brought in a striker to fill in for Calvert-Lewin or effectively replace last season's leading scorer Richarlison, but Lampard hopes it will not have to be a case of choosing between keeping Gordon or raising funds for another attacker.

He said: "Anthony's our player, we're not looking at it like 'where can we go with this deal to improve us?' Anthony's a great player that we've developed, which is a big deal.

"We know his value, because we see the value of players that are moving at the minute. He's a big player for me and the team, I think about what more can we do for the team.

"He's in the squad. Any chat I had with him will remain private and as any player should do, they have to get on with their own game, train well, prepare well.

"He's our player, simple as that."

The future of Gordon's club-mate Dele Alli is also in doubt, with Everton having reportedly agreed to loan the former Tottenham star to Turkish side Besiktas.

Alli signed from Spurs on an initial free transfer in January, though Everton will have to pay £10m once the midfielder reaches 20 appearances. He has only made 13 so far, with just one of those coming as a start.

"There's interest in Dele, that's come out publicly in the last couple of days," Lampard acknowledged. "That's one for us behind the scenes to consider ourselves, and Dele has to consider that. For it to happen it'll have to be right for everybody.

"I think at the moment, people queue up to have an opinion and can get quite negative about it and I don't think that’s really fair for a young man whose talents took him onto the world stage of football and won Young Player of the Year twice, was one of the world talents at a young age. We respect that he needs to keep working and that it's his career."

Few things will have made football fans feel stranger than seeing Lionel Messi wearing any other club shirt than that of Barcelona.

That is what happened in 2021 though, when the legendary Argentine made the move to Paris Saint-Germain due to the financial mess at the Camp Nou.

What could be stranger than that? Perhaps a Ballon d'Or shortlist of 30 names being released and not seeing Messi's among them?

On Friday, that once ludicrous suggestion became reality as the nominees for the 2022 award were announced in batches of five, only the familiar mention of the seven-time winner never came.

Of course, it was not especially a surprise. Messi struggled to make an impact at PSG after his free transfer to the Parc des Princes, scoring just six goals in 26 Ligue 1 games as his new team eased to the title, and a further five in seven Champions League outings.

By comparison, Messi won last year's Ballon d'Or after scoring 30 goals in 35 LaLiga games in 2020-21, as well as three in the Copa del Rey and five in the Champions League for Barca.

It still feels odd to see his name omitted, and Stats Perform has taken a trip down memory lane and looked at the last time Messi was not shortlisted for the prestigious award, all the way back in 2005.

The master before the apprentice

Before Messi, there was Ronaldinho, a player so captivating in 2005 he even earned a standing ovation at the Santiago Bernabeu from the Real Madrid fans for his performance in El Clasico.

The Brazilian consistently wowed the crowds with his skill paired with dribbling prowess and the ability to change a game all on his own. 

Unlike Messi, Ronaldinho did not earn plaudits for scoring incredible numbers of goals, more that he was generally a scorer of beautiful goals in important moments. Across league and Champions League, he scored 13 goals and recorded eight assists in 42 games for Barca in 2004-05.

That season saw him star for Barca as he won his first LaLiga title, which included providing an assist as a very young Messi scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete.

Although Champions League glory would elude him until 2006, Ronaldinho still managed to make a mark even in Barca's first knockout round exit to Chelsea in 2005 as he scored both goals in the 4-2 second leg defeat at Stamford Bridge, including a delightful toe poke that flew past Petr Cech.

For a player of his undoubted ability, it was a surprise that this was Ronaldinho's only Ballon d'Or, with Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro winning in 2006, Milan maestro Kaka doing so in 2007 and Cristiano Ronaldo lifting the first of many in 2008, starting the era of dominance between him and Messi.

Two lions unable to roar to success

Not all that far behind Ronaldinho in the voting back in 2005 were England midfield pair Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

The Barca man had received 50 votes in all, with Lampard second on 45 and Gerrard third on 39, though the Brazilian was significantly ahead of his two rivals in terms of those who voted him first (with voters marking down their top five in order).

It had been an excellent year for both Lampard and Gerrard though, with the former a key part of Jose Mourinho's dominant Chelsea who not only won the Premier League at a canter, securing 95 points and finishing 12 ahead of second-place Arsenal, but also dumped Barcelona out of the Champions League.

However, they in turn were eliminated from the competition in the semi-finals by Gerrard and Liverpool, who went on to lift the cup in Istanbul after a dramatic win on penalties against Milan in the final.

Had it been the modern day, in all likelihood, Gerrard would have received the most votes given the emphasis placed on winning the Champions League in recent years.

The Reds captain was a force of nature in 2004-05, dragging Liverpool through several games on his own though, like Ronaldinho, had not been a very regular scorer, only netting seven goals and four assists in 30 Premier League games, and Rafael Benitez's side finished a disappointing fifth.

Lampard was more of a net botherer though, scoring 13 goals and recording an impressive 18 assists in 38 league games for the Blues on their march to the title.

Funnily enough, Gerrard and Lampard will face each other as managers on Saturday as Aston Villa host Everton in the Premier League.

The little engine that would

Little did the game know what was about to hit it.

When Messi scored that goal against Albacete on May 1, 2005, it was the birth of a figure who would go on to become arguably the greatest footballer of all time.

It must be said that the last time Messi was not on what was then a 50-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or, he was just 18 years old, and had been just 17 when he netted his first goal for Barca.

For the remainder of the year, Messi set about establishing himself as a key part of Barca's attack alongside Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o under the coaching of Frank Rijkaard.

Messi scored six goals in 17 LaLiga appearances for the Blaugrana in 2005-06, as well as notching his first Champions League goal in a 5-0 win over Panathinaikos at the Camp Nou.

In 2006, he was tied 20th in the voting for the Ballon d'Or and the rest, as they say, is history.

Don't bet against seeing his name back on the shortlist in 2023, having already scored three goals in his first two games for PSG this season.

There is also a World Cup on the horizon, after all.

Everton have completed the signing of midfielder Amadou Onana from Lille.

Onana, who joined Lille from Hamburg in 2021 and made 43 appearances for the Ligue 1 side last season, has signed a five-year contract with the Toffees.

Frank Lampard has been eager to reinforce his midfield ranks, and Onana represents something of a coup for a club that finished 16th in the Premier League last term.

The 20-year-old Belgium international, who only made 15 starts for Lille, looked set to join West Ham, but Everton reportedly matched the Hammers' offer, agreeing a fee of £25.3million (€30m) with add-ons potentially taking the deal to £33.7m (€40m).

After sealing his move, Onana told the club's website his desire to learn from Lampard was a key factor in enticing him to Goodison Park. 

"It feels great to join Everton. I know it's a big, big club, one of the biggest in England. It's something I want to be part of for many years," he said. 

"Everyone here showed they really wanted me and they have a plan for me, so I really appreciated the talks I had with the manager and director of football [Kevin Thelwell]. They told me how they wanted me to play and I enjoyed it. 

"They both have a lot of ambition and that's the type of guy I am, so it matches. 

"The manager was one of the big reasons. He played at the highest level, won many things and was a midfielder, too. It means a lot to have interest from him and I think he can teach me many things."

Onana, who was in attendance as Everton lost 1-0 to Chelsea on Saturday in their Premier League opener, is set to be one of two midfield signings, with Idrissa Gueye on the verge of rejoining from Paris Saint-Germain.

Gueye was sold to PSG in 2019, having signed for Everton from Aston Villa in 2016.

Lampard, who brought in James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil and Ruben Vinagre in July, is also keen to bolster Everton's attacking options, with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin set to miss at least six weeks with a knee injury sustained in training, while Richarlison was sold to Tottenham in June for a reported £50m, with add-ons taking that fee to £60m.

The Toffees have also signed Wolves defender Conor Coady on a season-long loan after losing both Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina to injury against the Blues.