Moyes Has Guarded Praise Of Jake O'Brien After Corkman's First Premier League Start Of The Season

Jake O'Brien featured in the starting line-up for Everton for the first time in the Premier League this season as Everton lost 2-0 to Arsenal Arsenal took an early lead in the first half through Ezri Konsa, surprisingly their first set-piece goal of the Premier League season. The visitors were not dissuaded, though, and Arsenal did not look one bit comfortable as they defended their lead in the driving second-half rain.

Gabriel scored Arsenal's second as the champions moved level on points with Man City at the top of the table. Recommended For O'Brien, it was something to build on.

The Corkonian had played just 28 minutes of Premier League football so far this campaign, and made only one start in all competitions, against Wolves in the EFL Cup. It's been a deeply frustrating few months for O'Brien, who was in high demand over the summeramid reports he was eager to play at centre-back more regularly, having been deployed down the right last season.

That he ended up staying at Everton looked a questionable decision a few weeks into the season, as he found first-team opportunities effectively disappearing as Moyes indeed refused to play him at right-back. In the injury-enforced absence of Jarrad Branthwaite, however, O'Brien was given his opportunity to play alongside James Tarkowski in the centre of Everton's defence at the Emirates on Saturday.

Jake O'Brien lines out for Everton against Arsenal Moyes was asked about O'Brien's performance by Irish Football Fan TV during his post-match press conference. The Scotsman issued qualified backing of the Youghal man.

Jake's done well, [He] done, done a lot of good things, Jake. It's just that he's got pretty big competition in Jared Branthwaite, who's an excellent player and Tarkey's [James Tarkowski] is a bit of a leader for us.

He trains everyday like a beast and gets himself ready for all the games, prepares himself, so there's competition there, but he didn't do himself any harm today in in some of it. He's got lots of things he has to improve on for him to step up.

Brantwaite is currently sidelined with a concussion. It'll be interesting to see if O'Brien is handed another start when Everton hosted Newcastle in League Cup on Thursday.

They'll then travel to St James's Park to play Newcastle again next Sunday.