Senegal international Iliman Ndiaye delivered one of the standout African performances of the new Premier League season as Everton defeated Crystal Palace 2–0.

Playing the full 90 minutes, Ndiaye finished with a 7.9 match rating and registered an assist.

But the assist tells only part of the story.

The underlying data reveals a player who influenced Everton's attack through chance creation, progressive carrying and shooting, while also making an important contribution when his team lost possession.

For Deduction Football Intelligence, it represents another performance demonstrating why headline goals and assists don't always provide the complete picture.

Ndiaye Match Data

More Than an Assist

Ndiaye's assist was the headline contribution, but his creative numbers show that it wasn't an isolated moment.

The Senegal international produced:

• 3 key passes
• 1 big chance created
• 0.32 expected assists
• 1 assist

This is important when evaluating attacking players.

An assist can occasionally result from an exceptional finish by a teammate from a relatively low-quality opportunity.

But Ndiaye's broader creative numbers demonstrate sustained involvement in Everton's chance creation.

His 0.32 xA indicates that the opportunities he created carried meaningful scoring probability.

Ndiaye Progressed Everton Up the Pitch

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Ndiaye's performance was his ball carrying.

He recorded 27 carries covering 230.7 metres.

More significantly:

Progressive Carries: 5

Progressive Carrying Distance: 72.1m

Longest Progressive Carry: 21.0m

Approximately 31% of his total carrying distance was progressive.

That distinction matters.

Players can accumulate large carrying distances through sideways or backwards movement without significantly advancing their team.

Ndiaye was different.

He repeatedly carried possession towards Crystal Palace's goal.

When combined with his three key passes, the numbers demonstrate a player capable of performing two valuable attacking functions:

Progressing possession.

And then:

Creating opportunities.

An Attacking Triple Threat

Ndiaye's performance can effectively be divided into three attacking phases.

Progression

5 progressive carries

72.1m progressive carrying distance

Creation

3 key passes

1 big chance created

0.32 xA

Shooting

2 shots

2 shots on target

0.24 xG

0.52 xGOT

That combination is particularly encouraging.

Ndiaye wasn't simply waiting in advanced positions for opportunities.

He was helping Everton move into those positions before becoming directly involved in creating and attempting chances.

xG vs xGOT: Ndiaye Improved His Chances

There is another interesting number hidden within his performance.

Ndiaye generated:

0.24 xG

But his shots produced:

0.52 xGOT

Expected goals measures the quality of a shooting opportunity before the shot's placement is considered.

Expected goals on target assesses the quality of the shot once it is heading towards goal.

Ndiaye's xGOT being considerably higher than his xG suggests he placed his attempts particularly well.

Both of his shots were on target.

Although neither resulted in a goal, he made the goalkeeper work from opportunities that were not necessarily high-probability chances.

Efficient Distribution in Advanced Areas

Ndiaye also maintained strong passing efficiency despite operating primarily in attacking areas.

He completed:

38/44 passes — 86%

More importantly:

23/27 opposition-half passes — 85%

That is an encouraging figure for an attacking player.

Players operating close to the opposition goal are naturally expected to lose possession more frequently because they attempt more difficult passes.

Ndiaye combined attacking ambition with relatively secure distribution.

He also completed his only attempted long ball.

The Defensive Contribution

Ndiaye's attacking numbers understandably attract the attention, but his defensive work shouldn't be overlooked.

He recorded:

8 recoveries

alongside four defensive contributions.

That suggests a player actively involved when Everton lost possession rather than simply waiting for the next attacking phase.

His duel numbers were less impressive.

He won 6 of 13 ground duels and neither of his two aerial contests.

However, the eight recoveries demonstrate considerable defensive activity from an attacking player.

Where Can Ndiaye Improve?

There were two obvious areas where the numbers could have been better.

Dribbling

Ndiaye completed only:

1 of 4 attempted dribbles.

Given his ability to carry the ball progressively, improving his one-on-one efficiency could make him even more dangerous.

Possession Lost

He lost possession 15 times.

On the surface, that looks relatively high.

But context matters.

Ndiaye attempted:

• Progressive carries
• Dribbles
• Crosses
• Key passes
• Attacking combinations

Players attempting to create opportunities inevitably accept greater possession risk.

The more important question is whether those risks produce sufficient attacking reward.

Against Crystal Palace, they did.

Deduction Performance Breakdown

Match Rating: 7.9

One of the Best African Performances of the Opening Games

Ndiaye's 7.9 rating places him among the strongest African performances Deduction has tracked during the opening stages of the Premier League season.

Early Deduction Performance Board

Ranking reflects the individual match performances analysed by Deduction so far rather than a complete Premier League player ranking.

Deduction Verdict

🇸🇳 Iliman Ndiaye — 7.9

Ndiaye's performance against Crystal Palace was about much more than his assist.

He contributed at almost every stage of Everton's attacking play.

He progressed the ball.

He created chances.

He attempted shots.

He assisted a goal.

And when Everton lost possession, he contributed eight recoveries.

The most encouraging aspect may be the combination of five progressive carries and three key passes.

Progression without creation can become sterile.

Creation without progression can leave a player dependent on teammates getting him the ball in dangerous areas.

Against Crystal Palace, Ndiaye provided both.

That combination could make the Senegal international one of the most interesting African attacking players to monitor during the 2026/27 Premier League season.

Final Score

Everton 2–0 Crystal Palace

Deduction African Player Watch

🇸🇳 Iliman Ndiaye

Match Rating: 7.9
Assists: 1
Key Passes: 3
Big Chances Created: 1
Progressive Carries: 5
Progressive Carrying Distance: 72.1m
Recoveries: 8

One assist was the headline. The underlying numbers show the performance was much bigger.

Deduction Football Intelligence — Tracking African Players Across the Globe.