Everton will host Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday, looking to get back to winning ways and pull clear of the relegation zone.
Everton are coming into the game against Fulham on the back of just one win from the last six league matches. The Merseyside outfit are only out of the bottom three on goal difference and could find themselves in the relegation zone soon.
The Toffees enter this game on the back of a 2-0 defeat against Manchester United. So this is a golden opportunity for them to bounce back strongly with a positive performance at home.
Meanwhile, Fulham are coming into this game on the back of four consecutive defeats in the league, and Marco Silva is under pressure to get his side firing once again.
At one point, it seemed like Fulham would compete for a place in Europe next season. But their form has dipped significantly in recent months. It remains to be seen whether they can pull off an upset at Goodison Park and get back to winning ways once again.
Back to ours this weekend. 🏡#EVEFUL pic.twitter.com/jKI05rQHNu
— Everton (@Everton) April 10, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Everton
The Toffees will be without the services of Andros Townsend and Dominic Calvert-Lewin because of injuries. Abdoulaye Doucoure was sent off against Tottenham and is suspended for this game.
Sean Dyche is expected to field his side in a 4-5-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Nathan Patterson and Ben Godfrey will start as the full-backs, and they will look to defend deep and protect the central defenders. Michael Keane should feature at the heart of the defence along with James Tarkowski.
In the midfield, Alex Iwobi and Dwight McNeil will be deployed as the wingers, and the two players will look to add creativity and pace from the flanks. Idrissa Gueye will be the defensive midfielder here, and he will look to anchor the Everton midfield and break up the opposition play.
Amadou Onana and James Garner will start alongside him in the middle of the park. The duo will look to add defensive cover and drive to the Everton midfield. Demarai Gray is set to lead the line for the hosts.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Pickford; Patterson, Keane, Tarkowski, Godfrey; Iwobi, Garner, Gueye, Onana, Mcneil; Gray
Fulham
Fulham will be without the services of Neeskens Kebano and Layvin Kurzawa because of injuries. Aleksandar Mitrovic is suspended and won’t return until May. Marco Silva will line up his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal.
Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will start as the full-backs, and the two players will look to add creativity to the side along with their defensive responsibilities. Issa Diop will partner with Tim Ream at the heart of the defence.
In the midfield pivot, Harrison Reed will start alongside Joao Palhinha. The two players will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid will start on the right flank with Willian on the left. The two players will be hoping to help create opportunities for Fulham here. Andreas Pereira will be the central attacking midfielder and he is set to start behind striker Carlos Vinicius.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Reid, Pereira, Willian; Vinicius
Key Stats
- Fulham have lost their last four matches in the Premier League.
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
- Everton are unbeaten in four of the last six meetings against Fulham.
- Everton have won five of the last six meetings against Fulham at Goodison Park.
- Fulham have conceded 12 goals in the last five matches across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Dwight McNeil
The 23-year-old Everton winger has done reasonably well this season, and he was quite impressive in the defeat against Manchester United.
He has the pace and creativity to cause all sorts of problems for a vulnerable Fulham defence and he is our man to watch out for. The winger has three goals and two assists to his name in the Premier League and he will look to add to his tally against Fulham.
Prediction
Everton 2-1 Fulham
The two teams are quite evenly matched on current form, and this is likely to be a close contest. However, Fulham are clearly lacking in confidence and belief right now. Without star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, the Cottagers have looked toothless upfront and they will struggle to score goals.
Everton, on the other hand, have a lot more to lose and they will be desperate to pull clear of the relegation zone. The home side are likely to edge this contest. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Everton tomorrow.
