Everton will host Fulham at Goodison Park on Saturday, looking to continue their recent run of form with a positive result at home.
Eveton are unbeaten in the last four Premier League games, and they have picked up two wins in that time as they get set to host Fulham at Goodison Park on Saturday. The Toffees are coming into this game on the back of an away win over Ipswich Town, and they will be reasonably confident of grinding out a good result here.
Meanwhile, Fulham are in disappointing form right now, and they are coming into this game on the back of consecutive defeats against Manchester City and Aston Villa. It will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly and get back to winning ways.
The Cottagers have an impressive head-to-head record against Everton, and they certainly have the quality to bounce back as well. They are currently tenth in the league table, and it will be interesting to see if they can get their season back on track.
Team News & Tactics
Everton
Everton will be without Armando Broja because of a calf injury, Youssef Chermiti due to an ankle issue, Tim Iroegbunam due to an ankle injury, and James Garner because of a lower back issue.
The hosts will shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Seamus Coleman and Vitaliy Mykolenko will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. James Tarkowski will start in the central defensive partnership alongside Jarrad Branthwaite.
Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair to the side. As for the midfield unit, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Beto will slot in as the central attacking midfielder behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who will lead the line for Everton.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Doucoure, Gueye, McNeil; Beto; Calvert-Lewin
Fulham
Carlos Vinicius misses out with a calf injury, Jorge Cuenca misses out with an ankle problem, Joachim Andersen is suspended, Sasa Lukic has a shoulder injury, and Timothy Castagne misses out with a thigh injury.
Fulham are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Everton, with Bernd Leno in goal. Kenny Tete and the in-demand Antonee Robinson will be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to protect the side defensively and help out counter-attacking opportunities. Issa Diop will start alongside Calvin Bassey at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Tom Cairney and Andreas Pereira will start in the double pivot, and they will add creativity and control from the deep. Emile Smith Rowe will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates.
Adama Traore will start on the flanks along with Alex Iwobi. They will add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Raul Jimenez will lead the line for Fulham against Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Cairney, Pereira; Traore, Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez
Key Stats
- Fulham are undefeated in their last six matches against Everton in all competitions.
- Nine goals have been scored in the last six matches between Everton and Fulham.
- Everton have failed to score in four of the last six matches between these two sides.
- Fulham are winless in four of their last six Premier League matches.
- Everton are unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches.
Player to Watch
Dwight McNeil
The Everton winger is our key player to watch out for this weekend. McNeil has done quite well in the last few outings, and he will be crucial to Everton’s hopes of grinding out a victory here. The Englishman could cause all sorts of problems for a struggling Fulham defence with his pace and flair. He will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and stretch the opposition defence.
Prediction
Everton 1-1 Fulham
Both teams are quite evenly matched, and this will be a close contest. Even though Fulham have lost the last two matches, they have an impressive record against Everton, and they will be desperate to bounce back. It will be difficult to separate the two teams here, and they could end up cancelling each other out. They are likely to share the spoils in a goalscoring draw.