Despite sitting comfortably in the middle of the Premier League table, Everton’s start to the season hasn’t been quite as smooth as they might have hoped.

Off the back of a strong end to last season, following the return of David Moyes to the dugout and some inspired summer business that included the likes of Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling, the Toffees went into the season hoping to kick on.

However, Everton’s two league defeats have dampened moods for two similar reasons. Their 1-0 defeat to Leeds in August from an 84th-minute penalty was a disappointing three points dropped, particularly given the nature of the late spot kick scored by Lukas Nmecha.

This weekend’s 2-1 defeat against Liverpool was equally frustrating as the team were unhappy with some of the refereeing decisions in the derby, including the limited amount of stoppage time when they were pushing for an equaliser. After the match, David Moyes praised his team for showing “a great deal of resilience” against the League Champions.

While tenth is a strong position compared to the relegation dogfights they have found themselves in over recent years, it may still feel frustrating given the circumstances of both defeats. However, Moyes is looking ahead for the rest of the season, and it seems he may be plotting to galvanise his team with some youthful flair in the not so distant future.

15-year-old Jonathan Nsangou makes Everton U21 debut

15-year-old Jonathan Nsangou has been making a name for himself in the Everton academy and has been playing beyond his years. This weekend saw the teenager make his U21’s debut, skipping two age groups.

The Liverpool Echo’s Joe Thomas was full of praise for Nsangou after his debut, as, despite being the youngest on the pitch: “He did not look daunted, regularly going in search of the ball, making himself available and forming part of the press that led to Beaumont-Clark’s goal.”

While his U21’s debut was a landmark moment for the youngster, it was not his first of the season. Earlier in the year, he made his U18’s debut and, even more impressively, he was called up by David Moyes to train with the first team, which Thomas attested to “how highly thought of he is”.

It’s not just at Everton where Nsangou has impressed, as he has also started making waves in the England set-up. Last season, he scored a hat-trick in an international friendly, and Thomas describes him as a “part of a talented core” that the England youth system is currently working with.

Nsangou's path to the first team

While 15 seems young to be breaking into the first team, it is something that has become more common over recent years. In the last three years, three 15-year-olds have made their Premier League debuts, with the most recent being Arsenal’s Max Dowman. Moyes may see the success that these young debutants have had as a reason to gamble with Nsangou at some stage in the season and make him the fourth Premier League 15-year-old.

The Wolves fixture seems unlikely to see too much rotation, given how seriously Moyes seems to be taking the League Cup this year. In their 2-0 win over Mansfield, Everton played a side that could compete against most Premier League teams, and when they made substitutions, it was for senior players rather than youngsters.

Outside of youth games, Toffee fans may have to be patient to see Nsangou in the senior team, but with a dense fixture list of three domestic cup competitions, injury and fatigue may allow the youngster to push his way in.