Moyes delivers Tarkowski verdict as Everton captain answers questions

The Blues captain sparked scenes of joy against Bournemouth when he thumped in a stoppage-time leveller at the Vitality Stadium to salvage a point on the south coast.

Tarkowski then produced a game-saving intervention when his perfectly-timed challenge prevented Matheus Cunha from scoring for Manchester United on Sunday.

That challenge on Cunha was laced with jeopardy but immaculately carried out by the 32-year-old, who slid in from behind to dispossess the United forward as he looked set to make the net bulge from Marcus Rashford’s pull-back.

With Everton trailing 1-0 at the time, a goal would have been a major setback in Moyes’ side’s efforts to retain their unbeaten start to the season - something they achieved as first Tyrique George and then Ainsley Maitland-Niles equalised to earn a 2-2 draw.

The platform for his team-mates to rescue a point was built on Tarkowski’s challenge and his manager was full of praise for him after the game.

He said: “Tarky's an all-rounder. There will be moments where he might be questioned but he's always there. He's a great trainer every day, he leads by example in a lot of things he does.

“So he's getting what he deserves, Tarky. He got a good goal for us last week. But then he was defending today and he was very good.”

Tarkowski’s goal at Bournemouth sent the away end ballistic as the Blues snatched a deserved point at the death.

It was a big moment for the defender, who had been left isolated against Evanilson for the Cherries' goal and whose place is under pressure from Jake O’Brien and Michael Keane this season.

On the goal, he Tarkowski said after the game: “I had a lot more time than I initially thought. I turned around, the ball bounced and there was nobody too close to me, so I knew I just had to strike the ball and hit the target as it was on a wet, slick pitch and it was going to be tough for the keeper to save it as long as I caught it well enough.”

Such highlights matter more to the centre-back now he is officially club captain. While Tarkowski wore the armband with regularity during Seamus Coleman’s injury problems, the departure of the long-serving right-back this summer has seen him step into the role of club captain.

Tarkowski said recently: “I think it’s my proudest moment really. I’ve done it with Seamus in the background, so while they called me captain in the dressing room, I never really felt like the captain because we all knew who the real captain was.

“It’s nice that I’ve been given the honour of leading this club out and I’m proud every time I get the opportunity to do that and proud to be an Everton player.

“It’s tough because everyone speaks about Seamus and how good a personality he was, every time he walked into the dressing room. I know I can’t be that person as he spent so much time here.

“I’ve just got to try and do it my own way, to try and lead and to try and be honest, try to speak to people with respect and to try and represent the club in a way it wants to be represented.”