Everton youngster Matthew Pennington has earned the praise of David Unsworth following the Under 23’s win over Arsenal.
The Blues regained their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League 2 table with a 1-0 win over the Gunners on Monday.
An 86th-minute winner from Nathan Broadhead sealed the points for Unsworth’s team, who extended their unbeaten run in the league to eight games and continued their title push.
While it was the Broadhead who sealed the victory, the U23’s manager was keen to praise Pennington for an impressive performance alongside centre back partner Morgan Feeney.
Speaking following the game, the U23 boss said: “It was a massive win and a great performance.”
“We showed resilience and our defensive work was outstanding. I’m very proud of our players tonight because, in difficult conditions, we produced a proper Everton performance.
“At the back, Matthew Pennington was faultless. It was probably the best performance I’ve ever seen from a central defender at this level.
“He really is back to form now and I’m very pleased for him after what was a horrendous injury.
“He epitomises everything that I like to see in young players – he’s a workaholic, a learner and he’s a smashing lad. You want the good guys to do well, and he certainly is one of them.”