Everton enjoyed a summer of heavy reinvestment, buoyed by the £60m sale of top talisman Richarlison.

Although the Brazillian had played a huge role in their survival the season prior, it was assumed that bolstering the squad as a whole would be more beneficial than relying solely on one man for their goals.

As such, the midfield was prioritised and a replacement for the Tottenham Hotspur-bound marksman was omitted.

Having acquired Amadou Onana, James Garner and Idrissa Gana Gueye, they were expected to offer solidity in the engine room for ex-manager Frank Lampard, who quickly discovered just how grave an error he had made in his transfer policy.

The Toffees now sit in the relegation zone, left licking their wounds after a 4-0 drubbing away to Arsenal. The latter of those midfield reinforcements has been earmarked for particular scrutiny after his display, and his lackadaisical attitude which essentially put the game out of reach for Sean Dyche’s side.

Perhaps a spell out of the team could now be in order, as the Senegalese stalwart manages to make his £2m summer fee seem like a waste.

How did Idrissa Gueye play against Arsenal?

The fact that the 33-year-old was hooked at half-time speaks volumes for how he fared against the Gunners, with his part in their second goal unforgivable.

Having just conceded from a fine Bukayo Saka finish, a 1-0 deficit at the break would have left Dyche still confident of claiming a result given the spirited first 40 minutes his side had shown.

But dawdling back towards his own goal, Gueye was hunted by the English winger and Gabriel Martinelli in a scene that dumbfounded all who watched it. It was almost as if a foul had been given he was so casual, in a moment that journalist Adam Jones described as such:

“Idrissa Gueye (hailed a great signing in the summer, hmm) completely fell asleep under no pressure.”

In just 45 minutes the usually relentless midfielder could only muster 19 touches and a sole defensive intervention (one tackle), before putting the game to bed with his blunder.

This is not the first time the £80k-per-week dud has been sloppy in possession, and his decline in this area has been sharp.

This was the third instance this season that he had made an error leading to a goal, with the former cult hero having become something of a liability of late. Only one other player in the entire division has blundered more in this regard – Hugo Lloris.

Dyche made his feelings known with the ruthless half-time substitution, and the former Burnley boss must continue to exclude a player who simply cannot be trusted in his system anymore.